Granby Land Trust and Granby Artists Association host 10th annual art show

By Trish Percival
Ten years ago, Granby Land Trust President Rick Orluk had a vision to create a juried art show that celebrated Granby’s natural beauty. With the support of the GLT board of directors, he asked Carole Day and members of the Granby Artists Association for their help. He then approached a number of GLT supporters for financial backing. Before long, the land trust had an event sponsor and the funding to create 10 substantial awards. GLT members, GAA members and friends jumped into action to plan the event and, in November 2005, the first show was held at the J.Vallee Brunelle Fine Art and Framing.

Each November since, the Granby Land Trust and the Granby Artists Association have worked together to expand and improve the show. Today, thanks to the incredible generosity of the GLT’s friends, the show offers a remarkable $5,000 in award money and the event has become something the community looks forward to each fall. This year, a record 180 pieces of original artwork were submitted (the juror had to select just 80 to be in the show); and nearly 200 people turned out for Opening Night at Lost Acres Vineyard.
Entitled Celebrating New England’s Natural Beauty, this year’s show encompasses artwork inspired by beautiful, natural places across New England. Paul Gulla, Gallery Manager at R.Michelson Galleries in Northampton, Mass., juried this year’s show. A portion of art sales benefits the Granby Land Trust.

The winner of the show’s top prize—the Don and Marty Wilmot Award—was Laura Eden for her painting After the Rain. Caroline Mecartney won the show’s second place prize, the Granby Land Trust Award, for her painting titled Honeymoon Cabin.

There were 14 additional prizes, awarded as follows: Jean-Luc Godard won the Austin J. McNey Memorial Award given by Karen, Scott and Patrick McNey for La Morille. Marija P. McCarthy won the Granby Artists Association Award for Boats at Hyannis, MA. Bill Simpson won the Stephen Brown Memorial Award for Near the Sea. Diane Caswell Christian won the Sandy and Dave Schupp Award for Enders. Steve Linde won the Helen and Al Wilke Award for Luminous Landscape. Mary Lang Killilea won the Mildred Dewey Award, given by Jenny and Dave Emery, for Sailboat on Hamburg Cove. Karen Hudson won the Matthew K. Orluk Award, given by Trish Percival and Rick Orluk, for Autumn Bliss. Suzanne Roz Magoon won the Olof Stevenson Award, given by Jamie Gamble, for Beaver’s Home II. Lindsey Molyneux won the Tudor and Laura Holcomb Award, given by Nannie and Put Brown, for Arab. The Ray Betts Award, given by Carol and Greg Reid, went to Bob Noreika for Spicey Chickens. The William Stewart Award, given by Dave and Judy Russell, went to John C. Walker for Fresh Snowfall. Elizabeth Rhoades won the Salmon Brook Watershed Association Award for A Silence in the Marsh. New this year: Lost Acres Vineyard is offering a People’s Choice Award. For this award, guests vote for their favorite artwork each time they visit the show. Votes will be tallied at the end of the show on November 29 and the winner will be announced then.
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The Land Trust thanks Mark Wetzel and Fiduciary Investment Advisors, LLC and Ted Cormier and ALIRT Insurance Research, LLC for their ongoing, loyal support of the show. In addition, the Land Trust thanks event co-chairs Els Fonteyne and Laurie Schock for organizing yet another successful Opening Night; Bill Simpson and Laura Eden for their wise counsel, advice and hard work; and Michelle Niedermeyer and Kevin Riggott of Lost Acres Vineyard for hosting Opening Night and the show. Also, the GLT thanks Tony Capelli for his beautiful floral arrangements and Karen Rutigliano of Katering by Karen for the delicious appetizers she served at Opening Night.