The Stars of Texas Juried Art Exhibit hosted its 27th annual artist reception and awards ceremony on Saturday, February, 8, 2025. Eighty-two artists, from across the state, brought 275 pieces of art, 31 more than in 2024, to be considered for display with 129 of those being selected for the exhibit by juror, Tim Harding of Fort Worth. Twenty of the entries were selected for awards earning prize money totaling $7,500.
The top award, the $1,000 Dorothy Mayes Best of Show Award, sponsored by Jane Ellen Jamar, was presented to Hollie Brown for her painting, Vessel of the Void. In describing the painting, Harding stated, “The complexity of the imagery and handling of paint I found to be exciting. There is a mysterious quality to the subject matter that kept me returning to the work to investigate further.”
Other awards included the following:
$250 Digital ShootOut Award, sponsored by Be Okay Photography – Chair by Roger Levesque, which illustrated the prompt of “Open spaces with vertical lines.”
Five $100 Honorable Mention Awards, sponsored by Calvin & Suzanne Fryar
- Companions, pastel by Kit Timmins
- Coral Illusion, photography by Peggy Shepherd
- Alluvion, sculpture by Chelsea Branch
- Live Life in Full Bloom, watercolor by Jimmie Hudson
- The Parking Lot, by Jean Hoelscher
Three $100 Honorable Mention Awards, Sponsored by Morgan’s on Mayes
- Launch, acrylic by Nicola Drosche
- The Ultimate Pair, photography by Cloey Petty (15-21 young artist)
- A Troublesome Fire, Mixed Media by Joan Stewart
$500 Outstanding Achievement in Young Artist, ages 15-21, sponsored by Be Okay Artistry – Distant Views, Photograph by Moriah Schisler
$500 Achievement in Drawing, sponsored by Kohler Company – Calling all Ewes, by Jini Van Der Water
$500 Achievement in Digital Media, sponsored by ASAP Creative Arts – Memory, by Adam Tipton
$500 Merit Award, sponsored by Charles and Kaybeth Stavley – Fox and Grapes, acrylic by Keith Stinnett
$500 Achievement in Oil Medium Award, sponsored by Robert & Sally Porter – Red Sky at Night, by Cory Rivera
$500 Mary & Earnest Cadenhead Memorial Pastel Award sponsored by Ross & Nesa Setzler – First Full Moon and Venus, by Julia Fletcher
$500 Achievement in Photography, sponsored by MagnifyMy.Life, The Servant Neighbor, by Steve Lara
$500 Achievement in 3-D/Sculpture, sponsored by Empire Iron Works – Face Vase, by Sheri Wilson
$500 Achievement in Watercolor, sponsored by Hutson Creative – Waterfall, by Danielle Delhomme
$750 Juror’s Award, sponsored by Ann Jones Real Estate – Ezra’s Dream, by Elli Wilson
The Stars of Texas Juried Art Exhibit planning committee would also like to thank the sponsors of the event:
Presenting Sponsors: The Art Association of Brownwood, Visit Brownwood and The City of Brownwood
Benefactor Sponsors: Dr. Stephen & Mrs. Sandi Kelly, Be Okay Photography, Citizens National Bank, KOXE 101.3, and Brownwoodnews.com.
Patron Sponsors: Bart & Debra Johnson, The Good Booth, Home2Suites of Brownwood and Kohler Company
Advocate Sponsors: Kit Timmins, Chick-fil-a of Brownwood and The Turtle Restaurant
The Stars of Texas Juried Art Exhibit opened to the public on Sunday, Feb. 9. The exhibit will continue through February 22. Hours of operation are Monday – Saturday, from 9 AM – 6 PM and Sundays from 1-5 PM with artist demonstrations on Thursdays, Feb. 13 and 20 from 9 AM – 3 PM.
For more information about the Stars of Texas Juried Art Exhibit and its events, including Family Day (Feb. 15) and the Paint Off (Feb. 22), please visit StarsOfTexasJuriedArtExhibit.org or find Stars of Texas Juried Art Exhibit on Facebook.