Four artists were honored as Merit Award winners, including a First-Time Exhibitor Award at the Annual M&T Bank Clothesline Art Festival, held September 9th and 10th at the Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester. Winners were chosen from over 300 artists from across the country for the awards, which recognize extraordinary quality, craftsmanship, creativity, and/or outstanding presentation.
The 2023 Merit Awards Winners are:
- Kay Lewicke (Persistence Goods) Fairport, NY
- Anna Overmoyer (Anna’s Sketch Studio) Rochester, NY
- Shikha Rungza (The Attic Company) Edison, NJ
Exceptional First Time Clothesline Art Festival Exhibitor:
- Briana Kohlbrenner (MAUVE) Syracuse, NY
A big thank you to the judges’ panel for the M&T Bank Clothesline Art Festival Merit Awards, including Director Emeritus of the Memorial Art Gallery Grant Holcomb, Former Chief Curator at the Memorial Art Gallery Marjorie Searl, Associate Professor of Industrial Design at Rochester Institute of Technology and Designer/Artist/Design Strategist Mindy Magyar, President and Designer at Pike Stained Glass Studio and Stained-Glass Artist/Painter Valerie O’Hara, Artist and Activist Shawn Dunwoody, Photographer and Writer Quajay Donnell, Printmaker, Painter, Bread Baker, and Theater Performer Lizz DeSimone, and Artist and Activist Unique Fair-Smith.
For more information on the artists and the M&T Bank Clothesline Art Festival, please visit clothesline.rochester.edu.
About the Festival
Rochester’s largest and longest-running fine arts festival continues to evolve. Originating as a New York State-only artist festival, Clothesline has expanded recently to welcome artists from across the country. It’s now the place to experience all-day live entertainment, sample food from some of Rochester’s favorite vendors, enjoy free family art activities, visit the museum, and, of course, browse and buy original artwork throughout the grounds.