A Valuable Resource - Hudgens Center for the Arts

Submitted by Hudgens Center for the Arts

November 30th brings the exciting culmination of a nearly two year long process to choose a winner for the $50,000 Hudgens Prize visual arts competition. The competition was announced by the Hudgens Center for the Arts last January, causing quite a stir in the state, as this is one of the biggest cash art awards in the nation, and open only to Georgia artists.

Artists around the state quietly got busy, choosing and creating works in a very wide range of media, from drawings and paintings, to sculpture, installations and photography. Three hundred and sixty-nine different artists entered over 2,000 individual works of art. The jury truly had their work cut out for them!

The jury is made up of three well-known figures from the national and international art world, including David Kiehl (Curator of Prints at The Whitney Museum of American Art); Sylvie Fortin (Editor in Chief of ART PAPERS Magazine); and Eungie Joo (Keith Haring Director and Curator of Education and Public Programs at The New Museum). The Hudgens Center was very fortunate to be able to put together a jury of such standing, and it was an added benefit to all entering artists that their work was seen by these three individuals.

The Hudgens Center itself has been a hive of related activity for well over 18 months, since it was first chosen by an anonymous foundation to be the facilitators of the competition. Employees and board members have been working hard behind the scenes, forming a Prize Committee, planning the competition, inviting jurors, publicizing the competition through a coordinated media blitz and live press announcement, accepting and carefully logging in each entry, uploading each electronic image for the jury to view as anonymous entries, meeting with the jury to facilitate their deliberations, and then announcing the five Finalists in another statewide media blitz.

The committee and staff are currently deep in preparations for the Finalists' Exhibition and for the announcement of the prize winner, to be made on November 30, and it won't end there: the prize winner will also be offered the opportunity for a solo exhibit at The Hudgens, to take place in December of 2011.

The five finalists, Ruth Dusseault of Atlanta; Hope Hilton of Winterville; Gyun Hur, Scott Ingram and Jiha Moon of Atlanta, are currently completing and choosing works to be displayed in the Finalists Exhibit, from which the prize winner will be decided. The jurors will again gather, this time to preview the Finalists' Exhibit and see the artworks in person, and the announcement will be made during theOpening Reception on November 30th, in a special Award Celebration. The Reception is an invitation-only event.

The Finalists Exhibit will be open to the public from December 1 until February 19, 2011, and will include a looping video slideshow of works by all of the artists who entered the competition. Be sure to come see the fascinating works by the Hudgens Prize finalists, and pick out your own favorite artist or artists.

In addition, as a special gesture of thanks to the community for its support, the Hudgens is temporarily waiving the normal admission fee to the Exhibit. Admission is free during the month of December.

About The Hudgens

The Hudgens Center for the Arts is a non-profit organization that has been focused on supporting the arts in Georgia since its establishment in 1981. The Hudgens presents fine art exhibits year round, and offers art classes for adults and children through its Fine Arts School. The Hudgens supports local community-based arts organizations through its programs, exhibits and partnerships. The Hudgens' mission is to bring art lovers, leaders and learners together through quality programs and exhibits.

The Hudgens Center for the Arts is located at 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Bldg. 300, in Duluth, in the Gwinnett Center complex. For more information about art exhibits, events and classes at the Hudgens, please visit the website at www.thehudgens.org or call 770-623-6002.