Bay Arts Alliance proudly announces its 62nd Bay Annual Competition and Exhibition opening on Saturday, May 10 at the Center for the Arts in downtown Panama City. The public is invited to attend the opening reception on Saturday, May 10 from 5-7 p.m. Awards for the 62nd Bay Annual will be announced at 6 p.m. that evening. The Center for the Arts will have two other exhibitions on display for the month of May by Anastasia Dengerud and Connor Bellis.
A tradition started by the Panama City Artist Association, the Bay Annual Competition & Exhibition has brought together artists and arts enthusiasts throughout Northwest Florida to showcase the region’s most talented artists.
“The Bay Annual has always been special to us because it helps reconnect our community’s artists together in the same space,” said Jayson Kretzer, Executive Director of Bay Arts Alliance. “At the awards reception, it’s amazing to see the artists sharing techniques and rooting for each other, year after year.”
Over 100 pieces are submitted each year and then juried down to the finalists in the exhibition. Of those pieces, this year’s judge, Nan Liu, Professor of Painting & Drawing in the Department of Visual Arts, Humanities & Theatre at Florida A&M University, will award five Merit Awards and one Best of Show.
In an exploration of “growing pains,” Anastasia Dengerud’s ‘wonsaponatime’, featured in the Miller Gallery, creates a sense of colorful nostalgia that transports the observer to a time we all experienced, when we viewed the world through a child’s eyes. Simultaneously, this exhibit delves into themes of disordered eating, queer joy, intersectionality, and heartbreak through various mediums.
The Spotlight Gallery will feature Connor Bellis, a student of Amanda Hunt at Bay High School. Connor’s love of art started when he was young, always admiring the beauty of the world around him. Bellis flourishes in a range of 2D mediums that experiment with color, texture, and mark making. Upon graduation, Bellis will pursue a major in Fine Arts, concentrating in art history and architecture. He wishes to become a professional art conservator after completing his degrees.
Exhibits will be on display May 2 – 31. The Center for the Arts is open Tuesday–Thursday 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Friday 10 a.m.-7 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
About the Judge
Nan Liu began to study Chinese brush painting and calligraphy at a very young age in Tianjin, China. At the age of 16, Nan was named the winner of the prestigious title, “Young Artist of Tianjin” by the Cultural Committee of Tianjin City. In 1992, he was admitted to the Oriental Art Department of Nan Kai University and majored in Chinese brush painting. Among his many teachers, he was most influenced by the renowned contemporary Chinese painter, Fan Zeng, especially by his use of simple and vigorous brush strokes emphasizing dynamic delineation of form. In 1996, Nan continued his graduate study in Art Education at Capital Normal University in Beijing. In 1999, Nan came to the United States and studied Art Education at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in pursuit of his Master of Arts degree.
Nan has taught art classes for all age-level groups and has worked with young students from kindergarten to high school, college students, and senior citizens for over 20 years. Nan currently resides in Tallahassee, Florida, with his wife, Haiqiong Deng, their son, Ethan, and daughter, Isabel. Nan is currently the professor of art teaching drawing, painting and art education classes at the Department of Visual Arts, Humanities & Theatre, at Florida A&M University.
