2005 FINE ART SALON WINNERS

The Fine Arts Salon is the official art exhibition held annually at the NSS Convention to provide a competing, social and fund raising venue for all speleoartists. This is the only annual, national art exhibition for speleologists at this time. Those of us who participate, are very proud to be part of something so unique.

The beginning of presenting art within speleology, began with SpeleoArt. SpeleoArt was founded by Carolina Shrewsbury in the early 1990s with the help of Dave Gibson of the BCRA in GB as a SiG (special interests group) in response to a number of artists world wide who wanted recognition for caves in art. SpeleoArt came over to the USA by invitation, to set up a fine arts exhibiting venue for the NSS. This was the sixth Fine Arts Salon Exhibition.

There were a total of 25 entrants and 60 entries this year for five categories:

Paint - All work in paint medium including silk screen and hand printing.

Three Dimensional free standing - All work as standing sculpture or worn.

Multimedia - All work produced by a mixture of mediums.

Textile - All work in the textile medium.

Black &White - All work produced in black and white mediums.

There were no digital entries (All work in digitalized photographic and paint programs) in this years Salon.

This year the winners are:

PAINT CATEGORY

Merit Award - In Paradise, even the Stones Sing by Hester Mallonee.

Honorable mention - End if Line, July Springs by Michael Angelo Gagliardi.

3D CATEGORY

Merit Award - Cave Ball by Michael Kehs.

Honorable mention - Full Moon Bat by Vittoria Curl.

MULTIMEDIA CATEGORY
Merit Award - Kentucky Room by Alice Rolfes-Curl.

Honorable mention - To the Center of the Earth - by Carolina Shrewsbury.

TEXTILE CATEGORY
Merit Award - Bat Quilt by Felice Regan
Honorable mention - Topostream III by Carolina Shrewsbury.

BLACK & WHITE CATEGORY
Merit Award - Cave Capers Salamander by Kristi Lindberg.
Honorable mention - Crack with Many Faces by Bill Greenwald.

Popular Caver Vote and SpeleoArt Award
Cave of the Red Flame by Michael Kehs.
(Click image for larger version)

BEST IN SHOW
Cave Stein by Bruce Warthman.
(Click image for larger version)

Thank you to all of the artists who entered this year, you all produced excellent work that typifies the standard of work expected in an exhibition of really Fine Art.

The Judges were:

Peter Baldaia, Curator of Huntsville Museum of Arts.

Jeanne Gurnee, Fellow Member of the NSS since 1951, serving the Society in many positions from chairman of the Awards and Internal Organizations committees to President.

Diane Cousineau, secretary for Southeastern Cave Conservancy, Inc.

Show was coordinated by Carolina & Wm Shrewsbury

2005 Chairman: Marian McConnell.

The FAS would like to thank all the people who helped set up this years Salon. Without the valuable help of all these people the Salon would not have been the successful show we had this year.

- Wm Shrewsbury, my husband and workmate.

- Alice Rolfes-Curl and her excellent emails.

- Marian McConnell, our past chairman.

- Judy, the guardian angel.

- Sabrina Simon, who always has batteries that work.

- Bill Greenwald and his speleoart sessions.

- Russ Kennedy with his camera.

- Stephanie Searles (NSS Office).

- Scott Fee and his reluctant muscles.

- Bruce Wallace and his team.

- and all the other people who came up randomly to help move things in moments of desperation!
I may not know your names but your help is sincerely appreciated.

SOLD WORKS:

Kentucky Room - Alice Rolfs-Curl

Cave Pearls - Vittoria Curl

Cuevo Del Oro - Vittoria Curl

Folgers Best

Three Fingers Cave - Andy Komenski

Prints, Cathedral Caverns - Sabrina Simon

Cave of the Red Flame - Michael Kehs

Cave Ball - Michael Kehs

Stalactites, Iron Curtain Cave - Hester Mallonee

NSS AUCTION DONATED ARTWORK

Entrance - Merrill Ann Gonzales

Fire and Ice - Merrill Ann Gonzales

Jeweled Passage - Carolina Shrewsbury

Stalactite - Carolina Shrewsbury

Crystal - Carolina Shrewsbury

Curtain - Carolina Shrewsbury

Gour Pools - Carolina Shrewsbury

Cave Quilt - Mike Moser

Cave Quilt - Felice Regan

Thank you to all who bought work. Buying artwork through the Salon or through the NSS Auction raises money to support the Fine Arts Salon so we can continue to provide the speleological fraternities across the country with access to competition, exhibition and workshops at the annual NSS Convention.

Please view our supporting website for more information:

www.speleoart.net

Carolina Shrewsbury

Coordinator 2005

Coordinator 2006

Chairman 2006