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The East Central Regional Arts Council (ECRAC) is proud to honor the award winners of the 33rd annual IMAGE Art Show which opened online June 1, at www.ECRAC.org.

The IMAGE Art Show is an annual event open to any artist residing in Region 7E counties of Chisago, Kanabec, Isanti, Mille Lacs, and Pine. The Art Show and the awards honor some of the finest art in the area. The judges for the show were Michael Carlson and Melissa Gohman. They both have a wide range of artistic skills and art show judging experience.

A total of 159 artists from the East Central Minnesota region entered this year’s IMAGE Art Show and for the first time ever the show was online. The show can be viewed at www.ECRAC.org. People’s Choice judging is open until June 30, 2020.

There were seven categories with an Artistic Excellence Award in each along with multiple Artistic Merit Awards, with the number given depending on the number of entrants in each category.

The categories and awards are:
Painting: Transparent the Artistic Excellence Award went to Jim Larson, Milaca and Artistic Merit Awards went to Chad Carlson, Isanti; Janis Dehler, Cambridge; Isabelle Helseth, Pine City ; Bobby Olson, Grasston; Kristin Webster, Pine City; Barbara Young, Taylors Falls; and Tayler Swanson, Scandia.

Painting: Opaque the Artistic Excellence Award went to Christina Thurston, Onamia and Artistic Merit Awards went to Jean Crocker, Cambridge and Nancy Radefeldt, Lindstrom.

Drawing the Artistic Excellence Award went to Mike Menasco, North Branch and Artistic Merit Awards went to Marilyn Cuellar, Cambridge and Vanessa Kaari, Chisago City.

3D Functional Sculpture the Artistic Excellence Award went to Richard Vincent, North Branch and Artistic Merit Awards went to Sue Vogen, Cambridge; Karla Dahms, Mora and Jason Lidman, Milaca.

3D Non-Functional Sculpture the Artistic Excellence Award went to Patricia Larson, Sturgeon Lake and Artistic Merit Awards went to Susan Foss, Sandstone; Jason Boldt, Pine City and Gary Carlson, Rush City.

Photography the Artistic Excellence Award went to Judy Wolf, Pine City and Artistic Merit Awards went to Cadence Eischens, Stacy; Peter Genheimer, North Branch; Dennis Jenereaux, Isanti; Roger Nieboer, Mora; Jay Anderson, Cambridge and Evan Gorham, Stanchfield.

Other Art Forms the Artistic Excellence Award went to Terri Huro, Mora and Artistic Merit Awards went to Nancy Conger, North Branch; Stephanie Dickinson, North Branch; Dee Kotaska, Mora; Mike Gainor, Pine City; Deb Huberty, Mora and Anita Gilason, Ogilvie.

This art exhibition was made possible by The McKnight Foundation and also by the voters of Minnesota thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Legacy Fund. Thanks also to all that came to support the artists and their work at the 33rd Annual IMAGE Art Show.

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