Connie Richards Aigner, a second year MFA student at Illinois State University’s School of Art, has won the Merwin Medal for the most outstanding work of art in this year’s 83rd Annual McLean County Amateur Art Competition-Exhibition.  She earned her BA and MA at Eastern Illinois University.  Her winning work, Untitled, is multi-paneled fabric piece.   

The winners and additional selected works, submitted by amateur artists from McLean County and juried by Chris Berti will be on exhibition at McLean County Arts Center through April 24, 2010.

McLean County Arts Center is located at 601 N. East Street in downtown Bloomington.  MCAC hours are Tuesday, 10am – 7pm; Wednesday – Friday, 10am – 5pm, and Saturday, Noon – 4pm.  For more information, please call 309/829-0011.  McLean County Arts Center is supported in part by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

83rd Annual McLean County Amateur Art Competition-Exhibition

 Award Winners

Merwin Medal – Best of Show –

Connie Richards Aigner                                         

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS              1st PLACE                                            2nd PLACE 

Painting –                                            Trace Armstrong                            Erica Covarrubias

Graphics –                                          Carlotta Moore                                          William Frank             

Photography –                                           Madison Myers                                          Mary McEldowney

Sculpture –                                           Courtney Harp                                          Morgan Campbell

UNIVERSITY STUDENTS              1st PLACE                                            2nd PLACE   

Painting –                                           Paul Trapp                                          Erin Hayden

Graphics –                                           Connie Richards Aigner                            Emily Cellini

Photography –                                           Whitney Krystof                                          Brett Rhoades

Sculpture –                                           Donna Goodman                            Emily Cellini                           

ADULTS                                          1st PLACE                                            2nd PLACE 

 Painting –                                           Robert Faulkner                                          Tricia Shaw

 Graphics –                                            Nathan Parks

Photography –                                           Brianna Rhoades                            Rashod Taylor

 MCAC received 269 entries for this year’s competition.  The juror, Chris Berti, selected 82 artworks for the exhibition and awarded 22 cash prizes for outstanding works of art by amateur McLean County artists.  Chris Berti is Associate Professor of Art at Parkland College in Champaign, Illinois.  He received his BFA in ceramics from Alfred University and his MFA in ceramics from Cranbrook Academy of Art.   

This exhibition and awards are made possible by the generosity of the following sponsors:

The Alamo II, Ron Bacon & Dee Bohbrink, The Copy Shop, Francois Associates Architects, Lynn & Kelly Gray, Ken & Jan Holder, JMC Photo & Digital Services, KodaRoamers Camera Club, Sue & Bob Lakin, Rodney & Sarah Litwiller, Fred & Lois Mills, John & Paula Pratt, Cathy & Reid Richards, Specs Around Town, Robert & Connie Stefl, Irving & Jobie Tick, Timothy Kent Gallery & Framing, Deb & Steve Wannemacher, Patsy & Lynn Webber, and Doug & Margaret Williams.