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The Frank Stick Memorial Art Show is one of the most prestigious annual art events in North Carolina. The name of this show honors Frank Stick, a conservationist artist, who is well known for his works.

Held on the Outer Banks, at the Dare County Arts Council Gallery in Manteo, this event promotes the exquisite and highly diverse artistic talents of the people who live in the region.

The Kinds of Art Displayed at the Frank Stick Memorial Art Show

The Frank Stick show features a mix of paintings, sculptures, photography, and media pieces. Artists submit their finest works, striving for recognition and displaying their creativity.

The level of craftsmanship is often very high, to the point where even specialists can’t figure out how a particular project was done.

Much like the Great Pyramids, some of the show’s works of art are just incredible in their level of sophistication. Thanks to this, its reputation is stellar and lots of people, both artists and enthusiasts, take great pride in participating in the event.

One of the biggest obstacles that art shows must overcome is credibility. Imagine, for instance, a sports event that wants to be relevant. That event needs to attract the biggest names or at least some of them. Otherwise, nobody cares. The fact that the Frank Stick Memorial Art Show has managed to do this created a positive cycle that breathes life into it every year.

Best Works of the 47^th Edition

Last month, the 47^th edition took place and lasted for three weeks. Numerous excellent works were on display and the very best received a lot of recognition:

• Eure Best In Show: Eric Riggs “Alligator River Voodoo Queen and Her Servants” (mixed media, antique parts)
• Excellence Awards: Sarah Gill “Space and Time” (acrylic on canvas), Fred Vallade “Breaking Out” (mixed media), Emily Holmes “Calling Down The Moon” (mixed media, acrylic, ink, pencil, charcoal, collage on wood), and Katherine Wassink “Drum Season” (fiber)
• Honorable Mentions: Susannah Sakal “Nantahala Trout” (wood, acrylic, resin, map), Willow Rea Temple “It Feels Like The World’s Ending, But Let’s Go Fly a Kite” (acrylic, oil stick, graphite, molding paste), and Victoria Byers “Octopus Island” (photography)

If you also want to take a look at last year’s winners to make a comparison, these are the projects you’re looking for:

Eure Best In Show: Cathy Spivey Mendola “Rust Never Sleeps” (hand stitching on eco printed fabrics)

Excellence Awards: David Beal “Tranquility #1” (oil on canvas), Alla Rossow “Dance of the Wings” (paper collage), Cyndi Goetcheus Sarfan “Did You See Me? Will You Save Me?” (photography), and Judith Saunders “Come Fly With Me” (copper woven vessel)

Honorable Mentions: Andy Howell “Keepers” (acrylic on wood panel), Amy Snowden “Night Warrior” (watercolor), and Kitty Dough “Rippin’ Snortin’ Rocket Morton” (sculpture)

People’s Choice: Emily Holmes “Full Fathom Five” (acrylic, ink, pencil, collage)

Cultural Impact

The Frank Stick Memorial Art Show gives people a sense of community and shared values. Art plays a crucial role in our world but most of it is now created in digital form: music, video games, movies, and so on.

Artworks like the ones displayed in art galleries are rarely seen by people, which is why they have a unique charm. They make you feel like a time traveler who is experiencing for the first time something majestic, like a Caravaggio painting.

Even though we live in an age of entertainment, in which sports and online gaming capture everyone’s attention, art that is material and right in front of you can provide a unique experience.

Jury Selection

The Frank Stick Memorial Art Show is a competition between artists who seek to produce and display some of their most impressive works. Because of this, there is a jury that’s selected from the art community. As you can imagine, lots of prominent names are offered the chance to express their views and rate the projects included in the event.

Usually, the jury selects the best work, but there are also excellence awards and honorable mentions. This means that of the dozens of great artists that participate in the competition, at least half a dozen of them will receive a lot of attention. But the rest also benefit from having their works included in such a prestigious art show.

Conclusion

The 47^th edition of The Frank Stick Memorial Art Show was a great success and gave people the chance to see plenty of masterpieces by some of the best artists in North Carolina and beyond.