Bill Stearman Wins the 'Oeno Gallery Award of Excellence' at Arts in the County: Annual Juried Show
On June 20th, 2024, the Art in the County: Annual Juried Show took place and award winners were announced! Oeno Gallery was proud to be a returning sponsor with the annual 'Oeno Gallery Award of Excellence' valued at $1000 being given to a distinguished artist whose work demonstrates creativity, originality, technical fluency and professional presentation.
This year, the winner of the Oeno Gallery sponsored award was quilt artist Bill Stearman, selected by the owner and curator of Oeno Gallery, Carlyn Moulton.
The piece by Bill Stearman which received the award was 'Fix the Village! Trans Rights are Human Rights'. This powerful abstract piece is inspired by lyrics from the song 'The Village' by Wrabel. The lyrics featured on the quilt, 'There's nothing wrong with you! There's something wrong with the village' convey a powerful message about the struggles of being an LGBTQ2SIA+ identifying person in a community.
"The work is a masterclass in the art of abstracted illusion and layered meaning. It blends 18th-century techniques with 21st-century technology; invites completely different experiences from a distance and close at hand; and it is flawlessly executed. Simultaneously, it provides both literal and figurative soothing comfort in the form of a blanket to individuals and a community that has experienced painful isolation and ostracization over decades. Bravo!" - Carlyn Moulton
The Art in the County exhibition is on display in the County Arts Lab until July 7th, 2024.