The 2008 National Juried Show opens in the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina’s Greer Gallery on May 2 with a reception from 5:00 – 7:00 PM. Awards will be presented to the winners.  The exhibition runs through May 25 and is a Bravo Event.  The Greer Gallery is open Monday – Friday 10:00 – 4:00 pm and Saturday – Sunday 12:00 – 4:00 pm.
    The National Juried Art Exhibition features some of the finest art from across the nation.  For this competitive show the Art League received nearly 800 entries and is pleased to have distinguished artist Patricia SAN SOUCIE from Clackamas, Oregon, as their Juror.  Her winning selections will be announced at the opening reception on Friday.
    On Saturday, May 3, at noon, there will a Critic’s Luncheon at the Arts Center, where Pat San Soucie will outline her criteria in choosing the winners.  Tickets are $16 and can be obtained by mailing a check to Art League c/o Cindy Chiappetta, 7 Duck Field Rd., Hilton Head, SC 29928. 

Cindy Chiappetta, the Art League’s Special Events Chair, says:  “It was truly a marvelous experience receiving and cataloging all of the wonderful work from around the country.  It was a privilege to be the first to view all of the entries and an even greater experience to observe the decisions of the juror, who has such a long and illustrious career in the field.”
    Ms. San Soucie specializes in water media and is widely traveled.  Her list of society memberships is very impressive.  Her work is in the collections of seven international museums, museum libraries, and private and corporate foundations.  She has been teaching workshops for thirty-five years, and is featured in ten books and seven magazine articles.  She has had work accepted in fourteen shows in 2007 alone, winning awards in four of them.  It is an honor to have her act as juror for this event.
    The Art League’s National Juried Show is one of the premier juried art exhibitions in the Southeast.  The Show’s awards total $10,000.  The Best of Show garnering a $2,500 prize, has been awarded to Laurie O. Lisonbee for her astonishing and eye-catching work titled Pigeon Pose with Spoon (oil & mixed media, 2007).  Anne Hakala, an Art League Gallery member, earned the First Prize in the Mixed Media category with her evocative Bird, Tree, Moon creation.  Entries have been submitted from 30 states, as well as Canada.  The Art League of Hilton Head is one of the leading organizations in promoting the visual arts on the Island and this exhibition offers an excellent selection of contemporary creativity across the nation.
    The Art League of Hilton Head is a not-for-profit membership organization dedicated to promoting and supporting the visual arts through education, exhibitions and partnerships for the cultural enrichment of the community and its visitors. It operates a Gallery staffed by volunteers for the display and sale of artwork by its members.  The Gallery in Pineland Station, Suite 207, is open Monday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m. till 6:00 p.m. For additional information contact the gallery at 843-681-5060 or check the website at www.artleaguehhi.org