BANGOR, Maine--WLBZ 2 Sidewalk Art Festival judges picked a relatively new artist for Best in Show and made four other awards, while hundreds of festival-goers cast their votes for the People's Choice award. A total of seven artists went home with ribbons after a day spent in downtown Bangor.
Judges chose fiber artist Rosalita Feero of Eddington for the Best in Show. They praised her creativity and use of color when selecting her body of work for a blue ribbon and $800 cash prize. Feero has been working with fiber for just a year and a half, having spent the previous 25 years as an accountant. She enjoys her second career as an artist, explaining that "Two plus two can be anything, now!"
WLBZ 2 asked those attending the Sidewalk Art Festival to select their favorite artist and received nearly 500 ballots cast throughout the day. When voting ended at 3:00 p.m., Melissa Post Van Der Burg of Augusta emerged as the People's Choice for 2011. The crowd favorite received a $700 cash prize.
For just the second time in the 22 years of the Sidewalk Art Festival, judges made a Best in Show Photography selection, giving the blue ribbon and $500 prize to Miles Greenacre of Hampden. They called his work spirited and diverse, complimenting his use of color.
WLBZ 2 created a category for student artists in 2011. The Emerging Artist Award went to a 10th grade student at Penobscot Valley High School in Howland. Claudia Grabau of Edinburg says she will use her $250 prize money for glass-blowing classes. She also receives free entry to the 2012 Sidewalk Art Festival. Judges cited Grabau's creativity and work in different media.
Two artists went home with Second Place Festival ribbons. Pamela Ellis of Rangeley received a $450 prize and Photographer Ronald Simons of Readfield received one for $300.
Judges made their award decisions based on the individual artist's body of work. Serving as judges for the 2011 WLBZ 2 Sidewalk Art Festival were Frances Clukey, Bangor artist and art psychotherapist; Artist and nature photographer Page Eastman, also of Bangor; and Robert Clark, President of Husson University, who has a strong interest in the visual and performing arts and personally collects art work for the Husson campus community to enjoy.
WLBZ 2 chooses the winner of Festival Purchase Prize, with a $700 prize for the selection of art for the station's collection at the Mt. Hope Avenue studio in Bangor. Ann Rhinehardt of Vassalboro won the prize for 2011.