"Tornado Watch, Fall" won 1st place in the 2018 Iowa State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition. The 30" x 30" oil painting depicts a 'tornado slide' in a Manchester, Iowa, city park on a fall day.
Tornado Watch, Fall. 2018. Oil on Canvas. 30 x 30 in.
A symbol of Americana and cultural heritage for a simpler time, 'tornado' slides like this one were once common in parks and playgrounds across the Midwest, but have slowly disappeared over the years. The slide appears to have been repainted many times, in different colors. This oil painting is first in a series of 4, featuring the subject matter in each season of the year.
Installation, Tornado Watch, Fall at the Iowa State Fair.
The painting was the first blue ribbon winner for Marlow in the Iowa State Fair Fine Arts competition. He won 2nd place in 2017 for his work entitled "Quaker Oats, Sunrise, February 9". This was the 4th year in a row Marlow's work has been accepted in the Iowa State Fair Fine Arts competition.
"This year's show did not disappoint," said Ron Dinsdale, one of three judges for the competition. "The best art has meaning beyond just an image; perhaps it will bring you to tears, make you laugh, or remind you of something you'd almost forgotten. It also stands out in a crowd, and dares to be different. I hope viewers of the show this year will take the time to understand the meaning behind the piece."
Morning Light by Leslie Levenworth, West Des Moines
The quality of the work in the 2018 Fine Arts competition was exceptional. Iowa landscapes won the day in the oil painting category. Leslie Levenworth of West Des Moines won 2nd place for her work "Morning Light". Leslie won 1st place last year, and also was awarded Best of Show in 2018 for her work "Cows at Rest". Third place was awarded to Hans Olson of Fairfield, Iowa, for his work, "Light and Shadow of Winter".
"Light and Shadow of Winter" by Hans Olson won 3rd Place in the 2018 Iowa State Fair.
A total 433 works of art were submitted to the Fine Arts competition in the adult category in 2018, including 51 oil paintings.
The Iowa State Fair Fine Arts Salon has a rich and vibrant history, going back to 1854. Many of Iowa's finest artists have won prizes at the state fair, including renown regional artist Grant Wood. Beginning in 1929, Wood won the top prize in oil painting four years in a row, before receiving national recognition for his iconic masterpiece, "American Gothic".
Frequently ranked as one of the top events in the country, the Iowa State Fair is the single largest event in the state of Iowa and one of the oldest and largest agricultural and industrial expositions in the country. Annually attracting more than a million people from all over the world, the Iowa State Fair is Iowa’s greatest celebration with a salute to the best in agriculture, industry, entertainment and achievement.