Mackinac State Historic Parks is pleased to announce the winners of the 2024 juried art exhibition, Mackinac Rocks!, at The Richard & Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum.
Kristine Granger, Art Faculty and Fine Arts Coordinator for Bay College in Escanaba, served as juror and selected Love, Life and Memories Among the Rocks, by David Petropoulos as best in show. As the overall winner, Petropouos will receive The Richard & Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum Gold Medal and a $2,500 cash prize. Petropoulos’s name will also be added to the list of annual Gold Medal winners, which is displayed in the museum.
Crow’s Nest Trail, by Lisabeth Curnow, was named second place, and Limestone Canvas, by Natalia Wohletz, finished third. Three honorable mentions were also selected: The Grand Hotel, by Mercedes Bowyer, Gitchie Manitou, by Christina Heyworth, and Arch Rock Milky Way, by Ragnar Avery.
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 6 in the second floor gallery. Admission to the museum is $10.00 for adults and $6.50 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 2025 art contest: Iconic Mackinac. 150 years ago the many icons of Mackinac Island prompted the creation of Mackinac National Park, the second national park in the country. This protected icons such as Fort Mackinac, Fort Holmes, Arch Rock and others, and spurred the creation of icons such as Grand Hotel and the East and West Bluff cottages, among others. We encourage artists working in all media to share with us their artistic visions of what Iconic Mackinac means to them. Cindy Meyers Foley, Director and CEO of Grand Rapids Art Museum, will serve as juror.
A downloadable version of this release can be found here. Higher resolution photos available upon request.