America the Beautiful

Arts for Rural Texas is excited to announce the winners of America the Beautiful: Celebrating 250 Years as a Nation. This national competition and gallery exhibition, held at the Ross Gallery, invited artists to reflect on the people, places, history, and ideas that have shaped our nation. America the Beautiful celebrates the diversity, complexity, and evolving story of the American experience from its founding to the present day.

ARTS would like to thank the many talented artists across the United States who submitted their work and congratulate the incredible award winners.

Best in Show: Rise Up and Resist by Tracy Mahaffey, Greene, RI 1st Place 2D: God Bless America by Janice McCubbin, Houston 2nd Place 2D: Rough Hands, Gentle Spirit by Teresa So, Sugar Land 2nd Place 3D: Etched Echoes by Khristina Knebel, Hallettsville 3rd Place 2D: The Wannabe Cowboy by Rick Hastie, San Marcos Honorable Mention: Trail Boss by Debbie Hughbanks, Loon Lake, WA Honorable Mention: Frederick Douglass, Spirit, Soul, and Body by Jeff Conley, Gig Harbor, WA Honorable Mention: Democracy is Fragile by Karen Bookout, Fayetteville ARTS would also like to recognize the jurors, judges, and award sponsor for the competition: Thank you to Tim Vanya, Steven Pituch, and Allyson Hoffmann for serving as the jurors and selecting works for inclusion in the exhibition. Thank you to Gerald and Debbie Tobola for sharing their expertise and evaluating all of the wonderful entries. Thank you to Mary Le Johnson for generously underwriting the awards for this competition.

America the Beautiful will be on display at the ARTS Ross Gallery through July 25. Visitors are encouraged to stop by the gallery to view the exhibition and vote for their favorite artwork to receive the People’s Choice Award. Voting will end July 20.

Visit www.artsforruraltexas. org to view the exhibition online.