"Quaker Oats, Sunrise, February 9" was chosen for the second place ribbon in the 2017 Iowa State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition. The 36" x 36" oil painting depicts the Quaker Oats cereal plant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on a cold Sunday morning.
Tangled Up in Iowa byLeslie Levenworth
Lindsey Stretching by Richard Shook
Mary Jones, one of the judges for the 2017 competition said, "The level of talent in Iowa is immense. Taken as a whole, though, what truly stands out is the sincerity of thought, feeling and effort. The work feels authentic across the diversity of materials, styles and subject matter." Fellow judge Jim Engler agreed. "I expected to see an ample range of styles and media, and I was not disappointed", said Engler. "The display of the Iowa artists' breadth of knowledge and skill was both inspiring and challenging for me as a judge. The 2017 art exhibition should afford the viewer a rewarding experience."
First place in the oil painting category was awarded to Leslie Levenworth of West Des Moines, IA, for her work, "Tangled Up in Iowa". Third place went to Richard Shook of Slater, IA, for his painting entitled "Lindsey Stretching". Over 400 works of art were submitted to the art competition in the adult category, including 62 oil paintings.
Over 1 million visitors are expected to attend the Iowa State Fair this year.