Three local artists were recognized in a juried show of some of North Carolina’s top watercolorists.
The Watercolor Society of North Carolina held its 68th-annual Juried Exhibition on Sunday in Blowing Rock.
Washington artist Jeffrey Jakub took third place for his painting “Contemplating the Words of Dylan.”
Pat Holscher, also of Washington, earned the Past Presidents Award for her “Pelicans Making a Point.”
Chocowinity resident Carol Mann received the Sallie T. Griffin Memorial Award for “Treasured Tulips.”
“I also was awarded the honor of becoming a signature member of the society,” said Mann.
Artists from North Carolina are allowed to enter two pieces in the annual exhibition.
“The juror reviews them, and they are only allowed to pick one of the two, if any,” Jakub said. “The actual judging happened Saturday morning while the board met.”
Out of more than 400 entries, only 70 are juried into the show.
From that 70, come the award winners and 30 total pieces that will be featured in a traveling exhibit. Jakub’s students’ works also made the cut for a traveling exhibit. The watercolors will be shown at Barton College in Wilson.
Jakub felt like a winner long before the awards ceremony. Three of his students were accepted into the show.
“Everybody keeps telling me, ‘It’s remarkable that you had three students in this show,’” he said.
The annual exhibit at Blowing Rock Art and History Museum runs through Nov. 2.
The event included a workshop and demonstration by one of the jurors, Mary Ann Beckwith.
The Watercolor Society of North Carolina promoted arts in schools by awarding $4,000 to schools and a scholarship to Beckwith’s workshop.
“And then they can impart that with their students,” Jakub said.