It's a Wrap for the 2022 Coconut Grove Arts Festival

MIAMI, Fl., February 22, 2022 – Presidents' Day Weekend has come to close, and it was quite successful for the 58th edition of the Coconut Grove Arts Festival. The Board of Directors of the Coconut Grove Arts & Historical Association were able to increase their scholarship money for students to $70,000; a 40% increase from previous years. Given the high quality of art, picking the winners was no easy task, but a team of professionals in their field made the rounds and silently cast their votes. A total of $50,000 in prize money was distributed to the first, second and third place winners in their respective categories.

"It's a pretty big deal to be named a winner, because it puts the artist in a desirable spot for several reasons," says Camille Marchese, artist liaison for the CGAF. Aside from receiving a monetary prize, the top awards are invited to next year's festival. "Winning an award at a prestigious festival adds to their recognition and validation, which gives them a reason to increase sales," Marchese added. The 2022 Best of Show winner this year was a photographer who uses a 19th century 4x5" field camera and Hasselblad. Lisa Kristine has traveled to 150 countries on six continents, and she's won the Lucie Humanitarian Award, presented at Carnegie Hall. Her work is meant to encourage a dialogue about the beauty, diversity, and meaning of our interlocking world. "We congratulate all 47 winners, but in all honesty, each of the artists who presented at this year's show is a winner in my book. We had a lot of Florida artists, but many drove down from places like California, Oregon, Minnesota, and Illinois. All worked long hours to set up their tents under hot conditions in hopes of attracting buyers. Their spirit and grit are beyond admirable," said Monty Trainer, CGAF President, who personally handed out some of the First and Second Place ribbons. The 2022 winners of the Coconut Grove Arts Festival are as follows:

BEST OF SHOW ($5,000 prize)
Lisa Kristine, from San Rafael, CA., is an international fine-art humanitarian photographer. For more than 30 years she has documented indigenous cultures and social causes in more than 150 countries across six continents, meeting people at the level of the heart. Lisa's work has been shown in exhibitions and purchased for permanent collections in museums throughout the United States and abroad. www.lisakristine.com

MYRNA PALLEY AWARD – Glass
Marlene Rose, from Clearwater, FL., uses a process based on the thousands-year-old tradition of bronze casting, adapted only recently for glass. She pours liquid molten glass into a carefully prepared sand mold, then cools it for six days or more in a specially controlled oven before cracking open the mold and seeing the result. https://www.marlenerose.com

MYRNA PALLEY AWARD – Jewelry & Metalwork
Wayne Werner & Barbara Bayne, from Havre de Grace, MD., create hand forged, die formed & fabricated jewelry from platinum, gold, and sterling silver. https://www.barbarabayne.com/

BEST BOOTH
Sheyko Nyeari and Sarkis Chouljian from Placita, NM. They were drawn together through a mutual admiration of timeless artifacts and a passion for the unconventional. Their jewelry and metalwork are a collaborative effort. http://www.nyeari.com/

2D MIXED MEDIA
First Place: Benjamin Frey from Buena Vista, VA. Booth 205-206. https://www.benjaminfrey.com
Second Place: Daphne Covington from Smyrna, GA. Booth 216. www.daphnecovington.com
Third Place: Leslie Peebles from Gainesville, Fl. www.lesliepeebles.com

3D MIXED MEDIA
First Place: Michael Merriman from New Bern, NC. https://Artfairnational.com
Second Place: David Figueroa from Sanford, Fl. http://daviddavidsculpture.com/
Third Place: Trent Manning from Winter Haven, Fl. https://www.trentmanningstudio.com

CLAY
First Place: Luis Gutierrez from Wake Forest, Fl. https://www.artedluis.com/
Second Place: Glenn Wood, Keith Herbrand from Palm Harbor, Fl. www.potteryboys.com/
Third Place: William Kidd from St. Petersburg, Fl. https://williamkiddceramics.net

DIGITAL ARTS
First Place: Alex Lanier from Tallahassee, Fl. https://www.alexlanierart.com
Second Place: Craig Roderick from Jasper, AL. https://www.bellafioreimages.com/
Third Place: Kenneth Kudulis from Chattanooga, TN. https://www.alongthelinesart.com
Honorable Mention: LJ Eidolon from Charleston, SC. https://ljeidolon.com

FIBER ARTS
First Place: Bounkhong Signavong from Secaucus, NJ. http://www.laodesignonline.com
Second Place: Traci Paden from Ooltewah, TN. www.silkbytraci.com
Third Place: Ingrid Humphrey from St. Augustine, Fl. https://Www.Etsy.com/shop/SisterDolls
Honorable Mention: Amos Amit from Los Angeles, CA. https://batikbyamit.com

GLASS
First Place: Richard Ryan from Bourbonnais, IL. https://www.vmglassart.com
Second Place: Susan Gott from Tampa, FL. https://www.gottglass.com
Third Place: Wesley Rasko from Naples, FL. https://www.wnrglass.com/pages/index.jsp

JEWELRY & METALWORK
First Place: Samantha Freeman from Ocala, FL. www.samanthafreemandesign.com
Second Place: Ann Marie Cianciolo from Milwaukee, WI. www.annsjewelry.com
Third Place: Pam Fox from Sarasota, FL. www.pamfoxjewelry.com

PAINTING
First Place: Kym Day from Simpsonville, SC. http://www.kymday.com
Second Place: Edwin Lester from Newark, DE. www.artistedwinlester.com
Third Place: Ali Hasmut from Chicago, IL. https://www.alihasmut.com
Honorable Mention: Aziz Kadmiri from Woodstock, GA. www.kadmirifineart.com

PHOTOGRPAHY
First Place: Chris Gug from Ft. Lauderdale, FL. http://www.GugUnderwater.com
Second Place: Glenn Lewis from Greeley, CO. www.glennlewisphotography.com
Third Place: Paul Gruner from Riviera Beach, FL. www.paulgrunerart.com
Honorable Mention: David Sieczkiewicz from Charlestown, RI. http://skavichphoto.com

PRINTMAKING & DRAWING
First Place: Allison & Jonathan Metzger from Des Moines, IA. www.midnightoilstudioworkshop.com
Second Place: Betsy Best from Flushing, MI. www.betsybeststudio.com
Third Place: Jacqueline Roch from Miami, FL. www.jacquelineroch.com

SCULPTURE
First Place: Calvin Walton from Stone Mountain, GA. https://www.instagram.com/waltoncalvin/
Second Place: Tanya Tyree from Heathsville, VA https://www.tanyatyree.art
Third Place: Kipley Meyer from Madison, GA. http://www.kipleyameyer.com/

WATERCOLOR
First Place: Gustavo Castillo from Port St. Lucie, FL. wwwcastillolagosstudiocom-gustavo.blogspot.com
Second Place: Farhana Hemming from Buchanan, VA.
Third Place: Jennifer Ardolino from Homosassa, FL. www.jaart.com

WOOD
First Place: Steve Uren from Grand Rapids, MI. www.steveuren.com
Second Place: David Levy from Davis, CA. www.davidlevycreations.com
Third Place: David Bergeron from Thibodaux, LA. https://bergeronwoodworks.net

ABOUT CGAF:
The Coconut Grove Arts Festival is not just about art; it is also the social event of the year. About 100,000 attendees from across the region pass through the gates of The Coconut Grove Arts Festival to experience one of the nation's top outdoor, fine-arts festivals that dates back to 1963. This iconic South Florida event presents over 270 internationally recognized artists who were selected during a blind-jury process based solely on artistic merit. The jury panel is comprised of collectors, influencers, and educators in the local arts community. Original pieces are displayed in the following categories: mixed media, painting, photography, digital art, printmaking & drawing, watercolor, ceramics, glass, fiber, jewelry & metalwork, sculpture, and wood. It offers culinary experiences and has featured celebrity chefs including Giorgio Rapicavoli, Ralph Pagano, and Allen Susser. The festival has been honored to have some of the world's premier artists officially create the commemorative poster, including Romero Britto, Guy Harvey, Clyde Butcher, Maria Reyes Jones, Jacqueline Roch, Xavier Cortada, Rick Garcia, Lisa Remeny, and Alexander Mijares to name a few.

The festival is operated by the 501(c)(3) Coconut Grove Arts & Historical Association and produced by EngageLive, LLC. Proceeds go towards funding year-round arts programs and scholarships benefitting 20 graduating seniors from local public magnet arts high schools each year. The association also maintains the Coconut Grove Arts Festival Gallery and presents special exhibitions throughout the year at Mayfair in the Grove.

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