Art on the Square’s Best of Show, other award winners announced
Art on the Square’s 2023 Best of Show winner is a sculptor from Texas.
Each year, artists from the fine arts show in downtown Belleville enter their work for evaluation by a panel of judges for monetary awards.
Seth Vandable, of Cedar Hill, Texas, earned $5,000 and an invitation to attend the event again in 2024 as part of his Best of Show win.
Here are the other 2023 winners:
Best of Category awards ($1,500) —
Timothy Sullivan, ceramics.
John Leben, digital/graphic design.
Emily Luyk, drawing/printmaking.
Janvier Ngamije, fine craft.
Tony Cray, glass. He earned an invitation to the 2024 event.
Tana Acton, jewelry. She earned an invitation to the 2024 event.
YanFang Inlow, mixed media.
ZL Feng, painting.
Steve & Rita Lohr, photography.
Loura Dobbs, sculpture.
Sue Mersman, wood.
Awards of Excellence ($500) —
Paul Miller, wood.
Brianna Martray, drawing/printmaking.
Sheko Kirby and Sarkis Chouljian, jewelry.
Charles Gatewood, painting.
Nolan Prohaska, glass.
Julie Latayan, ceramics.
Toby Skov, photography.
Casey and Deborah Bridges, sculpture.
Barb King Jewelry award ($500) — Clare Johnston.
Edward and Helen Karasek purchase award ($1,500) — Susan Rogers, mixed media.
Joan Voss Renner purchase award ($1,500) — J. David Norton, glass.
Art on the Square Committee purchase award ($1,000) — Seth Vandable.
This year’s judges included:
Nicole Shanks who has experience in photography, ceramics and fiber media. She has a studio in Belleville called Weave and Wobble.
Tori Sacco who has experience in graphic design, sewing, stained glass, charcoal and ceramics. She ran the design and print studio Paperkeet in St. Louis from 2009 to 2020.
Nicole Dutton who has experience in painting. She has worked as associate director of Chesterfield Arts, curator for the Schmidt Art Center at Southwestern Illinois College, art team manager for a commercial interior design firm and director at Third Degree Glass Factory in St. Louis.
