Mackinac State Historic Parks is pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 juried art exhibition, Iconic Mackinac, at The Richard & Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum.
Cindy Meyers Foley, Director & CEO of the Grand Rapids Art Museum, served as juror and selected Silver Straits, by Cynthia Armstrong Rosa, as best in show. As the overall winner, Armstrong Rosa will receive The Richard & Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum Gold Medal and a $2,500 cash prize. Armstrong Rosa’s name will also be added to the list of annual Gold Medal winners, which is displayed in the museum.
Bridging Time, by Kevin Barton, was named second place, and Lilac Avenue, by Natalia Wohletz, finished third. Three honorable mentions were also selected: Mackinac Arch Rock, by Suzy Berschbeck, Fort Views, by Eric Fadie, and Unmarked Trail Off Garrison Road, by Riley Parrish.
The second and third place winners receive cash prizes of $1,000 and $750, respectively, and the three honorable mention winners will receive cash prizes of $250 each. All prizes are donated by the Mackinac Arts Council and Mackinac Associates.
The pieces will be on display in the museum through Sunday, October 5 in the second floor gallery. Admission to the museum is $10. 50 for adults and $6.75 for children ages 5-12 and includes the Biddle House, featuring the Mackinac Island Native American Museum, American Fur Co. Store & Dr. Beaumont Museum, and McGulpin House. Admission to the museum is also included with a Fort Mackinac ticket, and is also complimentary to overnight guests of Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau-member hotels.
“The annual contemporary art contest continues to support the mission of The Richard & Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum by encouraging new artistic creations inspired by Mackinac Island,” said Steve Brisson, Mackinac State Historic Parks director. “I invite residents and visitors alike to tour the exhibition and enjoy these wonderful Mackinac-inspired works of art.”
Mackinac State Historic Parks is also excited to announce the theme for the 2026 art contest: Echoes of the Island: A Journey Through Time. Mackinac State Historic Parks is looking for artists to explore the layers of Mackinac’s storied past. From the sacred lands of the Anishinaabe people to the Revolutionary War-era Fort Mackinac, from Victorian summer retreats to horse-drawn carriages, Mackinac Island is in many ways a living museum. We encourage artists working in all media to share with us their artistic visions of what Echoes of the Island: A Journey Through Time means to them.
