The annual Best of West Virginia Open Juried Exhibition stands as one of our most renowned and anticipated events of the year. Unlike our other shows, this exhibition is open to all residents of West Virginia, not solely Tamarack Marketplace’s juried artisans. This makes it an inclusive and highly valued opportunity for artists across the state.
Celebrating its 18th year, the Best of West Virginia Open Juried Exhibition continues to grow in both scope and reputation under the leadership of Gallery Manager Gabe Murphy, who has moved from Gallery Assistant to this new position. Participating artists are given the opportunity to display their work in our renowned David L. Dickirson Fine Arts Gallery, a space viewed by many travelers and locals alike.
Something else that makes this exhibition unique from the others is that it is our only gallery exhibition where pieces are selected and judged by a panel of distinguished judges and awards are given, celebrating artistic excellence at the highest level.
The selection process was guided by a panel of guest jurors from neighboring states, who carefully evaluated each entry with professionalism and fresh insight. These guest jurors included:
- Jillian Ramsey, Assistant Professor at Liberty University, Madison Heights, VA
- Christopher Phillips, Associate Professor at Liberty University, Crozet, VA
- Joshua Wilson, Program Director and Associate Professor at Liberty University, Madison Heights, VA
This year’s show drew an impressive pool of over 200 submissions, each representing a unique artistic vision. The expertise of our guest jurors has made for a thoughtful and dynamic curation. Each piece submitted for the exhibition was evaluated on its individual merit before being accepted into the show. Those same jurors visited the exhibit once installed to choose their top three works to be named as this year’s winners!
We were also thrilled to welcome Sharon Harms as our guest speaker for the award ceremony. Harms is a West Virginia artist and long-time Tamarack Marketplace juried artisan known for her work in stained glass and watercolor. Her stained-glass work is also featured at Tamarack Marketplace in the David L. Dickirson Fine Arts Gallery, including the iconic gallery entry doors that welcome every visitor. She shared remarks about her life as an artist, the creation of the gallery doors, and Tamarack Marketplace’s impact. “We are family because of this place. This is where we come every so often to hang our work. Nobody can go without camaraderie of artists and feedback. This is where a lot of that comes from.”
Coming in first place this year, winning the title of ‘Best in Show’ and a $2,000 cash prize, was Michael Teel of Kanawha County with “Peter Pan Paradox”. An award-winning artist based in West Virginia, Michael specializes in oil and multimedia paintings that explore life in Appalachia. With over 30 years of experience as a graphic designer, he now runs Teel Design Group, offering creative services to businesses, nonprofits, and associations.
Coming in second place and receiving a $1,000 prize was Brian Fencl of Ohio County with “Typewriter (Strange Vase #10)”. Currently, he serves as a Professor of Art at West Liberty University in West Virginia, where he teaches drawing, painting, and illustration courses. From 2010 to 2020, he held the role of Chair of the Department of Media and Visual Art. He resides in Wheeling, West Virginia, with his wife, Tracey, and their two sons. At the heart of his work is a core mission grounded in a devotion to possibility.
Taking third place was Nadia Pinna of Monongalia County with “Carrot – Daucus carota subsp. sativus”. Her life, much like her work, weaves together diverse threads into a rich tapestry. Raised by Sicilian immigrants in Baltimore, she didn’t learn English until grade school. She later moved to West Virginia for university, where she developed a deep connection to the Appalachian landscape. Over the years, she has taken on many role including collegiate athlete, professional pastry chef, yoga instructor, COO of a bronze company, artist, and farmer with many more paths still ahead.
This year’s exhibition features work from 70 artists and 102 pieces of art, representing a wide range of mediums, styles, and voices from across the state, each contributing to broad spectrum of creative voices, showcasing the depth, diversity, and a remarkable variety of artistic talent found throughout the Mountain State.
You can view our Virtual Gallery online by visiting our Galleries page. If you visit in person, you may cast your ballot for People’s Choice. This aware will be announced upon the closure of the exhibition.
We’re incredibly excited to showcase such a remarkable group of talented artists whose passion and dedication continue to inspire. Here are those who are featured:
Chelle Adams of Monongalia County, Addyson Aftanas of Cabell County, Lesia Angel of Kanawha County, Shannon Arbogast of Monongalia County, Lee Ann Billups Blevins of Wayne County, D. Ray Bozic of Greenbrier County, Nathaniel Brown of Wetzel County, Andrea Brunais of Mercer County, Ralph Cale of Marion County, Hilary Clement of Summers County, John Comerci of Raleigh County, Katy Crim of Harrison County, Brian Faller of Cabell County, Brian Fencl of Ohio County, Ellen Fischer of Greenbrier County, Leiane Gibson of Mercer County, Elissa Greathouse of Hancock County, Frances Ann Grimes of Wayne County, Timothy Gump of Marion County, Sharon Harms of Kanawha County, Jenny Harnish of Greenbrier County, Melvin Hartley of Fayette County, Elizabeth Hestick of Monongalia County, Carol Hilleary of Kanawha County, Vernon Howell of Cabell County, Kenney Isom of Raleigh County, Joshua Jones of Mercer County, Holly Kincaid of Raleigh County, Kevin King of Lincoln County, Dennis Paul King of Kanawha County, Elizabeth Kump of Morgan County, Lisa Lambert of Kanawha County, Tanya Law of Kanawha County, Don McDowell of Cabell County, Jill Moles Mullins of Clay County, Rita Montrosse of Mercer County, Jeff & Becky Morehead of Wood County, Jackie Murphy of Raleigh County, William Murray of Kanawha County, Melanie Myhre of Cabell County, Jill Nolan of Mercer County, Stephen Opet of Hancock County, Shelby Oreolt of Raleigh County, Jessica Osborne of Kanawha County, Jesus Perez of Monroe County, Jo Dugan Perez of Monroe County, Nan Perry of Kanawha County, Petey Karen Petersen of Jackson County, Nadia Pinna of Monongalia County, Lynn Quillen of Monroe County, Carli Ratliff of Fayette County, Sandy Riggs of Boone County, Christie Saunders of Cabell County, Mark Schwenk of Morgan County, Randy Selbe of Putnam County, Shannon Shank of Kanawha County, Stephen Sisson of Jackson County, Debbie Sisson of Jackson County, Lesa Smith of Kanawha County, Silas Spellman of Monongalia County, Betsy Beorn Spellman of Harrison County, Tiera Tanner of Harrison County, Michael Teel of Kanawha County, Linda J.C. Turner of Lewis County, Annette Verna of Jefferson County, Krys Von Tornado of Kanawha County, Karen Wakefield of Nicholas County, Kaylie Williams of Kanawha County, Veronica Wilson of Morgan County, and Cecil Sy Ybanez of Nicholas County.