Heikes Named Top Watercolor Artist in Iowa
Marybeth Heikes was awarded the First Place Cash and Ribbon Prize in the 26th Annual Exhibition of the Iowa Watercolor Society on Sunday, September 21. Her winning entry, Chairs Series #120, is part of her well-established “Chairs in the Jungle” series which she began almost twenty years ago. She also received the Award of Excellence in Transparent Watercolor for this painting, which included a ribbon and art box filled with watercolor paints.
The exhibition was held on the Drake University campus at the Olmsted Center. A few of the paintings from the show will be selected for the Traveling Exhibit, which will be at various galleries in Iowa for the remainder of this year and continue on tour throughout next year.
The juror for the show was Diane Maxey from Scottsdale, Arizona. She chose 60 paintings from a field of 150 watercolors. Paintings considered were evaluated on the strength of design and a bold, visual statement. The award-winning paintings chosen exemplified strong contrasts, bold colors, cutting edge design, and demonstrated an expressive statement.