Hartsville resident wins 2nd place at regional art competition
Julie Mixon. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Jan. 28 marked the online opening of the 2021 Pee Dee Regional Art Competition at the Florence County Museum’s Waters Gallery in downtown Florence, sponsored by Chick-fil-A of Florence. This year’s competition juror was artist Margaret Curtis of Tryon, N.C. The Pee Dee Regional has been presented annually since 1954 and is one of the longest-running competitive art exhibitions in the state. Due to the continued threat of COVID-19, the opening reception for the 2021 Pee Dee Regional Art Competition was canceled in favor of on online and social media-based awards announcement. The $1,000 First Place prize was awarded to Francis Marion University professor of photography Julie Mixon, for her image transfer work, “Envelop(e).” Curtis likened Mixon’s piece to an elegant mathematical theorem, calling it “a simple idea, beautifully realized.” A Second Place award of $600 went to competition newcomer Jasmine Baetz of Hartsville. Baetz’ work has been exhibited all over the eastern United States, Colorado, and British Columbia. She received her B.A. in Religious Studies from the University of Toronto, her B.F.A. in 3D Fine Arts from Massachusetts College of Art & Design in Boston, and her M.F.A. in Ceramics from Colorado University in Boulder. Third Place ($250) went to Treelee MacAnn of Myrtle Beach for her 21-color screen print “X Marks the Spot.” MacAnn is a veteran of the Regional Competition and a recently retired professor from the art department at Coastal Carolina University. Honorable Mention ($100) was given to Alyssa Reiser Prince for her abstract expressionist painting, “Found.” About the award winners, Curtis said she looked for works that displayed “creative engagement over simple displays of skill.” The exhibit this year is composed of 25 works of art selected from over 130 online submissions by 66 artists representing northeastern South Carolina. As in previous years, the 2021 Pee Dee Regional was opened to submissions of contemporary art created within the last two years by all artists within the state’s northeastern Pee Dee region. The exhibit is now open to the public and will remain on display through Friday, April 9, in the FCM Waters Gallery, 135 South Dargan St. Visitors are invited to join the awards selection by casting their ballots for the Jo Ann Fender Scarborough People’s Choice Award. Voting for the People’s Choice Award is open through Friday, March 26. The winner will be announced March 29. The exhibit can be viewed at flocomuseum.org/exhibitions/2021-pee-dee-regional and at the Florence County Museum Waters Gallery, 135 South Dargan Street, Monday- Friday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., now through April 9.
