Winners of the annual Call for Art, The Keller Prize, have been announced. Winners reflect on what this prize means for them and their careers.

ASPEN, COLORADO, UNITED STATES, February 8, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Shelly Hamill is an Aspen based mosaic artist with a studio in Aspen, CO for the last 15 years. Shelly teamed up with Nicholas James Ducasse of Eden Gallery and the Aspen Sojourner Magazine in 2nd Annual ‘The Keller Prize’ call for art. ‘The Keller Prize’ is named after Shelly’s grandmother, Jane Keller. Jane was a landscape painter and was known for her landscapes of the Texas state flower, the bluebonnet. Jane was very influential in Shelly’s decision to become an artist. www.janekellerartist.com

‘The Keller Prize’ offers an online exhibition using their website to showcase all submissions in an online gallery as well as on their Instagram and Facebook pages. More than 200 artists submitted over 1100 pieces of art for consideration. A grand prize winner and 2 runners up have been chosen and are currently featured in a 2 page spread in the winter issue of the award winning Aspen Sojourner Magazine, exposing the winners to an affluent, international and educated audience. The Aspen Sojourner Magazine has an annual circulation of 52,000 and an annual readership of 286,000 with an average household income over $500,000USD.

Grand Prize Winner- Deborah Kruger
1st Runner Up- Heather Arenas
2nd Runner Up- Linda Anderson

When interviewed, Grand Prize Winner Deborah Kruger had this to say: ‘Winning the Grand Prize is a great thrill and also deeply affirming. I thank the judge, Nicholas Ducasse, of The Keller Prize for honoring me and my work with this meaningful prize.’ - Deborah Kruger, Environmental Artist

From Deborah’s Bio: ‘My latest work focuses on the tragic losses of the 21st century, specifically the extinction of bird species and the death of indigenous languages around the world. The pieces also echo the forced migration of humans, who are similarly victims of war, poverty, famine, climate change, and habitat fragmentation. ‘

1st Runner Up, Heather Arenas’ shares the following, ‘"I was very pleased to be chosen given the amount of talent among the entries. Thank you for recognizing my body of work!"

From Heather’s Bio: ‘Arenas primarily focuses on the medium of oil paintings on aluminum and wood panels, as well as charcoal drawings on paper. She is best known for her ability to convey stories of the human condition through the use of gesture, employing a limited palette, extensive grays, and expressive brush strokes. One of her most noteworthy projects is "The Museum Series," which began in 2016 and continues to the present. This series marks a significant breakthrough in her career, as it departs from the confines of realism and ventures into the realm of exaggerated gestures and vibrant colors.’

2nd Runner Up Linda Anderson reflects on her selection, ‘I am thrilled to have been selected as an award winner of The Keller Prize. This was my second entry, and knowing it is an international competition, I knew the odds were high. There is such high quality today in the art world, to be chosen for this award is such an honor, surprise and humbling experience.’

From Linda’s Artist Statement: ‘I like to tell a story. The fabric of Life is woven with the stories of people everywhere. They make me wonder about our individual uniqueness alongside the humanity we all share. In my travels, I observe the human story being played out the same, no matter the geographical address on the globe. When I captured someone in a moment that usually would go unnoticed, I was reminded over and over of how similar I was to people in different countries and cultures. How similar we ALL are. The moments of work, repose, pride, fellowship, joy, sadness, fears, family, dreaming, celebration… these universal experiences help reinforce our sense of shared identity. Recreating these moments in this medium that combines my two loves, painting and sewing, is my way to visually help connect us. A thread, indeed, runs through us all.’

Upon completion of judging The Keller Prize, Nicholas James Ducasse shared, ‘I would like to congratulate each participant for taking me on a journey, I thoroughly enjoyed the various medias, textures, styles atmospheres and ideas and have found you all very inspiring.
The Keller Prize offers a real range and variety of artists and making a choice was a difficult task considering the incredible talent out there.’

Works submitted can be viewed at www.thekellerprize.com/gallery

2024 submission dates June 7- Sept 30

About Shelly Hamill

Shelly Hamill is a mosaic artist known for her mosaic dress sculptures located in Aspen, Colorado. Hamill has been creating mosaics for 17 years and has trained in Venice, Italy with the maestro Lucio Orsoni and Antonella Gallende of the Orsoni Foundry, in operation since 1888. Hamill’s training has lead her to receive a ‘Master of Mosaics’. Hamill’s work can be seen online at shellyhamill.com In 2006, she began publicly exhibiting her work and has had multiple solo and group exhibitions.

About Nicholas James Ducasse

Nicholas is half English and half French born and raised in St. Germain en Lave just outside of Paris. Nicholas' background includes studies in drama, acting, singing and art history. He has been a gallery director in St. Tropez, France; Marella, Spain; Verbier, Switzerland; London, England; Mykonos, Greece; Miami, Florida and Aspen.

About Aspen Sojourner

The Aspen Sojourner magazine is an award winning publication in print since 1995. The winners of The Keller Prize are featured in a 2 page spread advertorial piece in the Winter/Spring 2023/2024 issue both in print and online, valued over $8400. (1) Grand Prize and (2) Runners Up will be chosen.
• Aspen Sojourner is an award winning publication since 1995
• 52,000 Annual Circulation
• 286,00 Annual Readership with an average household income of over $500,000
• Distribution Highlights: Lodging, Property Management & Real Estate, High end retailers, galleries, restaurants, private and public airports, chamber visitor and welcome centers.

Shelly
Shelly Hamill
+1 9703790928
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Facebook
LinkedIn
Instagram
YouTube

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.