Dare County Arts Council announces 25th Mollie Fearing Memorial Art Show award recipients

May 4, 2022 | Island Features

The Fearing Family at the 25th Annual Mollie Fearing Memorial Art Show opening reception. Photo courtesy of Dare County Arts Council.

Artists, community members, and the Fearing family gathered at Dare County Arts Council on Sunday, May 1 for the opening reception of the 25th Annual Mollie Fearing Memorial Art Show, which features the work of 85 local and regional artists.

Excellence Award recipient Lisa LeMair with her piece “Threnody”. Photo courtesy of Dave Huff.

Studio jeweler, metalsmith, and enamelist Kathryn Osgood carefully selected the following award recipients:

Best In Show: Gretchen Dibler “The Trio” (acrylic)
Excellence Awards: Fay Davis Edwards “Golden Orbit” (acrylic), Jackie Koenig “Golden Hour” (oil), Feather Phillips “Vessels” (watercolor), and Lisa LeMair “Threnody” (jewelry)
Honorable Mentions: Fred Vallade “My World” (mixed media), Cathy Spivey Mendola “Melancholy Blues” (fiber art), and Jackie Tury “Tide and Vine” (acrylic)
People’s Choice: Ashley Libretto “Pistol Petie” (oil)

“The Mollie Fearing exhibition is a celebration of the many talents of the artists of the Outer Banks region,” said judge Kathryn Osgood. “I enjoyed the opportunity to act as juror for the show. I found the Best In Show entry to be a wonderfully energetic depiction of a quintessential Outer Banks scene, boats moored in a marina. The subject almost overflows the canvas and the resulting condensed sense of space draws the viewer into the picture.”

Gretchen Dibler’s Best In Show acrylic painting “The Trio” features three fishing boats.

“I am truly honored to win the Best In Show award in this special exhibit,” said Best In Show Award Recipient Gretchen Dibler. “Having grown up on the Outer Banks, I love the look of old fishing boats so that is where this painting’s inspiration came from. I wanted to use the teal color because it was so spectacular and I knew it would make the painting stand out.”

The show is held in memory of Mollie A. Fearing, one of the founders of Dare County Arts Council.

The exhibition will be open for viewing in Dare County Arts Council’s Courtroom Gallery during normal gallery hours through May 28.

Thank you to Jane Webster, Ocean Atlantic Rentals, and Lucky 12 Tavern for sponsoring this event.

For more information about the show, please visit DareArts.org/molliefearingshow or call (252) 473-5558.

Dare County Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization dedicated to encouraging the arts in Dare County through advocacy, enrichment and opportunity.