November 16, 2023
Meryl Engler’s Every Year They Grow From Nothing wins Best in Show
The Florence O’Donnell Wasmer Gallery at Ursuline College opened its New Masters 3: Women Artists of Northeast Ohio last weekend. This dynamic juried exhibition showcases the art of a diverse range of disciplines by emerging and established women artists who live and create in the region.
The College received a record 450 online entries from 187 artists. Hilary D. Gent, painter and founder of HEDGE Gallery, served as judge and selected 47 artworks by 45 artists including the $1,000 Best in Show prize awarded to Meryl Engler of Akron, Ohio for her piece, Every Year They Grow From Nothing. Engler described the work as a five-layer reduction woodcut. “Each layer has multiple transparent colors that layer to create the final image,” she explained. “I am inspired by the magic and whimsy in everyday moments.”
Other winners included Kate Kisicki from Portage for Water Pig (first prize); Jenniffer Omaitz from Kent for Tipping Point (second prize); and Leigh Brooklyn from Elyria for Liberty (third prize). The following artists received honorable mentions: Hadley Conner of Oakwood Village for Accommodation; Mary L. Alexander from Girard for Growth #4; and Natalie Lanese from Cleveland for Day Heap.
“I would like to thank everyone who submitted their work and made the show a success,” states Wasmer Gallery Director Anna Arnold. “It takes a tremendous amount of courage and belief in yourself to put your work out there.”
The show runs through January 25, 2024 and is supported in part by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. Visit the Wasmer Gallery webpage for additional information and directions.
Exhibit Open: November 10, 2023 – January 25, 2024
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Thursday, 12-5 p.m.
Closed November 22-24, December 22-January 1
Image credits: Every Year They Grow From Nothing by Meryl Engler
