Columbus, Ohio – Mark Lewanski and Aaron Tomac, Glassware from Portland, MI, took home $2,000 and the best of show award today at the 2014 Columbus Arts Festival. Lewanski and Tomac, located at booth 19R on Rich St. Bridge, will be selling their award-winning work, along with approximately 280 other artists from across the nation, and the world, at the Columbus Arts Festival produced by the Columbus Greater Arts Council this weekend. The Festival, located at the Downtown Riverfront, will be open from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. today and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow.
12 other artists also won awards today. Award winners were chosen by an on-site panel of local arts experts. Award winners will be invited to participate in next year’s Festival. Award winners are:
Jurors’ Choice, 3-Dimensional ($1,000 each)
– Ronald Linton, Jewelry (Hot Springs, ARK, booth 330W)
– Jennifer Ivory, 3-D Mixed Media (Corvallis, OR, booth 206M)
– Thomas Savrda, 3-D Mixed Media (Kent, CT, booth 69R)
Jurors’ Choice, 2-Dimensional ($1,000 each)
– Gena Ollendieck, 2-D Mixed Media (Cresco, Iowa, booth 156M)
– Clifton Henri, Photography (Chicago, IL, booth 221M)
– Beau Tudzarov, Digital Art (Ft. Lauderdale, FL, booth 281/282M)
Merit Award ($500 each)
– JJ Reichert, Fiber (Belle Fontaine, OH, booth 218M)
– Richard Wilson, Drawing (Greenville, NC, booth 2R)
– Katrin Wolf, Jewelry (Monticello, FL, booth 70R)
Best Presentation ($500)
– Joan Rasmussen, Sculpture (Atlanta, GA, booth 5R)
Best Emerging Artists
–Meghan Howard, Emerging Artist (Columbus, OH, booth 17R)
–Natalie Orr, Emerging Artist (Reynoldsburgh, OH, booth 145C)
Begun 53 years ago as the “Downtown Festival of the Arts” on the Ohio Statehouse lawn, the Columbus Arts Festival showcases the best visual arts, music, poetry and local food for three days each summer to a crowd of about 400,000 each year. Live music, great food and a relaxed, gallery-like setting provide the perfect ambiance for browsing and buying the best selection of art. This year’s Festival attracted more than 1,000 artist applicants from across the country for the coveted 280 spots.
To volunteer for activities at the Columbus Arts Festival, please go to www.columbusartsfestival.org/get-involved/volunteer.php.
For more information on the Columbus Arts Festival, call (614) 221-8531 or visit www.ColumbusArtsFestival.org for a complete list of artists, entertainers, stage schedules, interactive arts activities and more.
The 2014 Columbus Arts Festival is produced by the Greater Columbus Arts Council. Sponsors include American Electric Power, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Hollywood Casino, Blue Moon Brewery Co., Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, Limited Brands Foundation, Piada Italian Street Food, Pepsi, Birds Eye, Live! Technologies, Sugardaddy’s and The Westin Columbus. Media sponsors include WOSU Public Media, ABC6, The Columbus Dispatch, Columbus Monthly, Lamar Outdoor, Ohio Magazine, Orange Barrel, CD102.5, Mix 107.9, Time Warner Cable and WCBE 90.5.
About the Greater Columbus Arts Council: Through vision and leadership, advocacy and collaboration, the Greater Columbus Arts Council supports art and advances the culture of the region. A catalyst for excellence and innovation, we fund exemplary artists and arts organizations and provide programs, events and services of public value that educate and engage all audiences in our community. GCAC thanks the City of Columbus, Franklin County and the Ohio Arts Council for their continued support.
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CONTACT: Jami Goldstein
(614) 221-8492
jgoldstein@gcac.org
