48th Fairmount Art Exhibition: Gallery Talks
Fairmount Center for the Arts is honored to have hosted the 48th Fairmount Art Exhibition. For the past nearly half century, this annual event has been revered a very special time for Fairmount. For an entire month, its space transforms from a multi-arts center into an intimate gallery. Artists from all over Northeast Ohio bring their artworks to its castle-like home in Novelty to be juried. Accepted works then take up residence in each of the studios for members of the community to gather and enjoy. This event has become a staple of summers here at Fairmount.
This year, Fairmount welcomed 416 submitted artworks in six different categories - a record number! A panel of three local jurors selected 133 of those artworks to be displayed from August 6-22, 2024.
Gallery Talks originally launched as an exclusive newsletter series taking viewers behind the scenes of the exhibition. Content featured interviews with Fairmount’s Art Director, Brigitte Fiorille, last year’s Best of Show winner, Joe Stavec, and the three jurors (Michaelle Marschall, Rachel Suzanne Smith, and Dawn Tekler), and showcased some of the many processes behind the show such as jury day, selecting the Best of Show winner, the hanging process, and more.
Gallery Talks: History
Brigitte Fiorille, Fairmount's Art Director, kicked off our Gallery Talks series with a brief history of the Fairmount Art Exhibition. She highlighted aspects that make this annual event not only special to Fairmount, but to the artist community it serves.
Interview with Joe Stavec
Joe Stavec's work "Anticipation of a Moment" won Best of Show at the 2023 Fairmount Art Exhibition. We asked the local artist for an interview and were welcomed by him, his wife Stephanie, and their many pets with open arms into their home in Walton Hills.
This exclusive interview features Joe Stavec's home studio where he discusses his ideas and the inspirations behind some of his works. View his works online >>> HERE
Jury Day
On Tuesday, July 30, 2024 Fairmount welcomed three local artists; Michaelle Marschall, Rachel Suzanne Smith, and Dawn Tekler to jury the 48th Fairmount Art Exhibition. From 9am until 5pm, these artists assessed each of the 416 artworks entered and chose 133 pieces to be displayed in the exhibition. They also brought along some of their own works to display and took the time to explain their inspirations and processes behind their own works for this series.
Hanging As A Masterpiece
Fairmount's Art Director, Brigitte Fiorille, has handled the intricate process of hanging the Fairmount Art Exhibition artworks for several years. She shared her processes behind the placement of each piece and the stories that are brought to life through the different pieces.
Choosing Best of Show!
Choosing and hanging the Best of Show is a highlight for the Fairmount Art Exhibition. See some behind-the-scene moments (including the moment it was chosen!), insight from our jurors about their choice, and the narrative behind hanging the Best of Show wall.
Congratulations to artist Robert Wright for winning Best of Show with his painting, Beachwood Mall!
Thank you to these generous individuals and local businesses for supporting the 48th Fairmount Art Exhibition!
Lorraine S. Szabo
Best of Show Sponsor
Patricia Papesh
1st Place Painting Category Sponsor
Tracy L. Hull & Carl E. Engelman
2nd Place Painting Category, 1st and 2nd Place Photography Category, and 2nd Place Watercolor Category Sponsors
Roger Clark & Sarah Derico
1st Place 3D Category Sponsors
Joan Graham
1st Place Fiber Category Sponsor
