[Southsider2k12]

http://nwitimes.com/articles/2007/01/21/en...266006082e3.txt

'It doesn't matter who you know'
Lubeznik juried art exhibition picky, picky
Winners announced Saturday
From Sunday, January 21, 2007 12:09 AM CST Email this story Print this story
BY TIM SHELLBERG
Times Correspondent

Having inroads with the powers that be at Michigan City's Jack and Shirley Lubeznik Center for the Arts mean nothing when it comes to their juried art exhibition.

"My wife, she didn't get juried in, and one of the women who works here, who's also an artist, didn't get juried in," program and education director Edwin Shelton said. "It doesn't matter who you know."

Celebrating the opening and announcing the winners of the show, which is being held in both the Hyndman Gallery and the William Brinka Gallery at the Center, the juried exhibit has been a fixture of the Lubeznik Center for, by Shelton's estimation, more than two decades, when it was known as the John G. Blank Center for the Arts.

The exhibition used to be an annual tradition, according to Shelton, but it changed to every other year in 2005. To be eligible, artists must live within a 150-mile radius of Michigan City and be 21 years of age or older.

"Given the limitation of the number of shows that we can put together, it's hard for the average artist to have even one piece in the gallery," Shelton said.

"This allows the artist to have a chance to have a piece in the art center, and I think that's the advantage to having a juried show."

T.L. Soilen, an art professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, chose the 59 multistyled and multidimensional artworks created by 56 artists out of nearly 300 entries.

Shelton admittedly was surprised when he found out who is slated to take home the exhibition's $1,000 grand prize.

"T.L. Soilen is a painting professor and has a wonderful painting background, and he chose a sculptor to take first place, and that was pretty exciting." he said. "I didn't expect that. I thought a painter would take first place."

In addition to the prizes, which include a $500 award for second place and a $250 award for third place, a handful of honorable mentions will be announced at Saturday's reception and ceremony. The mentions, Shelton said, were Soilen's idea.

"There were people so close to getting an actual (award) that he wanted to give them that extra boost," Shelton said.

"He wanted them to be encouraged to keep pursuing their artistic career."

"Regional Juried Art Exhibition 2007" will be on display at Lubeznik Center through March 25. The Jack and Shirley Lubeznik Center for the Arts is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Opening reception for "Regional Juried Art Exhibition 2007"

When: 7 p.m. Saturday

Where: Jack and Shirley Lubeznik Center for the Arts, 101 W. 2nd St., Michigan City

Cost: Free but donations are welcome

FYI: (219) 874-4900 or www.lubeznikcenter.org