Seasons

Our first Art competition “Seasons” started in January 2020 and concluded on February 25, 2020. Art Room Gallery received entries from many countries around the world: USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Italy, France, Netherlands, Mexico, Switzerland, Chile, Brazil, Uzbekistan, Bulgaria, Taiwan, China, Hunngary and South Korea. The Seasons theme in this competition included a diversity in types, styles and mediums (oil on canvas, acrylic, photography, mixed media, digital, watercolor, colored pencil, fabric and thread, print on metal). The following evaluation criteria has been used for judging the artwork: creativity, interpretation of the theme, originality and quality of art, overall design, demonstration of artistic ability, and usage of medium. Jury decided to select 81 artworks for inclusion in the exhibition. Aside from First, Second, and Third place Jury also presented Merit awards and Honorable Mention awards.

Thank you, and enjoy the exhibition!

Statement:

I caught the photography bug when I got my first camera from my dad at age 11. While my equipment has changed over the years, (I currently shoot with a Pentax 67II medium format camera), what has not changed is my passion for photographing the beauty of nature. My love of nature photography grew as I spent time hiking and backpacking in the Rocky Mountains and surrounding areas. After living in Colorado for 35 years, my wife and I fell in love with the Pacific Northwest and decided to move to the Seattle area, giving us the opportunity to explore the ocean, forests and mountains in this beautiful part of the country. Through my hiking and backpacking I’ve had the privilege to see and experience natural places that not everyone is lucky enough to visit. Attempting to capture the beauty of these places through my photographs is the best way I can think of to share my good fortune. I hope to share my passion for nature and bring it into your home or office – bringing you serenity, inspiration or energy.

Statement:

Marlene Siff was born in Manhattan and raised in the Bronx. She was an art honors student at the High School of Music & Art (now LaGuardia High School of Music, Art and Performing Arts located near Lincoln Center). She earned a B.A. in Fine Arts from Hunter College where she studied with Richard Lippold, William Baziotes and Raymond Parker. In addition, her work is in the permanent collection of the B’nai B’rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum in Washington D.C. and in the Brian C. Nevin Welcome Center at Cornell University. Her work can also be found in the private collection of Samuel and Ronnie Heyman. Ms. Siff was also featured in an episode of Creative Women Today, on CT Cablevision, selected to appear in Years In The Making, a documentary film by Martin West, and was one of 13 women in the Westport arts community profiled in the film 13 Legendary Women sponsored by the Westport Arts Center. My paintings, works on paper, and sculptures suggest personal events and psychological issues, expressed through layered and intersecting geometric forms of bright colors that penetrate the viewer's space and engage his/her participation. They represent the puzzle of our non-linear lives, which we try to piece together in an effort to penetrate the illusions of reality and reveal the mystery and essence of the soul.