NEW IBERIA, La. --- The 7th annual Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air Painting Competition held its Awards Ceremony and Fine Art Sale on Fri., March 19, 2021 at the Shadows Visitor Center. Judge Kenn Backhaus presented the awards for this year’s winners.
- Best of Show: Phil Sandusky of New Orleans, La. for “Shallow Draft”
- 2nd Place: Susan Clark of New Iberia, La. for “Majestic Oak”
- 3rd Place: Richie Vios of Victoria, Texas for “Delcambre Bridge”
- 4th Place: Mark Hemleben of Lafayette, La. for “Delcambre Shrimp Boats”
- Honorable Mention: Jon Eenigenburg of Franklin, La. for “Leaning Oaks”
- Honorable Mention: Robert Leedy of Jacksonville, La. for “Delcambre Workhorses”
- Honorable Mention: Mary Monk of Abita Springs, La. for “Goodmorning Sugar”
- Best Nocturnal: Kirk Larsen of Hicksville, N.Y. for “Sha Delcambre la Noit Tombe’a”
- 1st Place Paint Out—Juried Artist: Chris Willey
- 1st Place Paint Out—General Public: Kathy Daigle
- 2nd Place Pant Out—General Public: Dunya Holland
- 1st Place Quick Draw—Juried Artist: Spencer Meagher of Mt. Vernon, Ill. for “Shadows Oaks”
- 1st Place Quick Draw—General Public: Marjorie Shanks of Effie, La.
New Iberia Mayor Freddie DeCourt presented the Mayor’s Award to Phil Sandusky for “Guggenheim Fusion Fission.” The Mayor’s Award, sponsored by Wyatt and Becky Collins, celebrates the beauty, culture, and history of the city of New Iberia. Sandusky’s painting will hang in New Iberia’s City Hall in perpetuity.
Wendell Verrett, director of the Twin Parish Port District, presented the award for Best Delcambre Painting to Richie Vios of Victoria, Texas, for “Delcambre Bridge.” Vios’ painting was completed on the inaugural Paint Delcambre day, held Sunday, March 14, where the Delcambre Seafood & Farmers Market welcomed competing artists to a day of beautiful weather, painting, food, and music. For his award, Vios will be receiving local seafood shipped directly to his front door.
The Artist Choice Award was presented to Mary O. Smith of Townsend, Ga. for “Two Rows”. Artists participating in this year’s competition submitted votes for their selection of best painting.
Sponsors:
The Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air Competition would like to thank the supporters and sponsors who helped make this year’s event possible:
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, Iberia Parish Convention & Visitors Bureau, The James Devin Moncus Family Foundation, Plein Air Magazine, Wyatt and Becky Collins, Community First Bank, and Delcambre Seafood and Farmers Market.
They would also like to express their sincere gratitude to Wendell Verrett and the Delcambre Seafood and Farmers Market, Community First Bank, Suzy Shea Kimball, Becky and Wyatt Collins, Dana Romero and A Spot for Tea, Cathy Indest, Annie Barras, and Martha Gilfoil for providing food and hospitality for the artists; Olivia Morgan and Susie Gottardi with the Hilliard University Art Museum for hosting a public painting demo by Kenn Backhaus, this year’s judge; Berard Transportation, Latter & Blum, Ted Viator and Viator & Associates, Yvonne LeBlanc, Liz Terrell, Chris Freeman, Barbara Gautreaux for assisting with event set-up.
They would also like to thank Barnel’s—The Art & Framing Gallery, Al Hebert with News 15, Marti Harrell with Positively Iberia!, Patrice Doucet, Jeff Boggs, Kenny Lejeune, and Rip Van Winkle Gardens.
Shadows Plein Air would also like to thank Walteen Broussard, Dan and Kathy Chassee, Cindy Herring, Jady Regard, Elizabeth Terrell, Jerome and Michael Weber, and Liz White for opening their homes to the artists throughout the week. Special thanks to Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser, Fran Thibodeaux and the staff with the Iberia Parish Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Adrienne Maze and Hampton Inn for assisting with additional housing.
About Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air:
The Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air competition debuted in 2015, introducing the community to painting en plein air. The tradition of “painting outside” is one explored by William Weeks Hall, the last private owner of the Shadows, who advertised for and taught painting classes in the gardens in the 1940s. In the seven-year history of the competition, over 170 artists from 25 states, Canada, and the Philippines have applied to participate. Almost 100 of these artists have traveled to New Iberia for the opportunity to spend a week painting Acadiana, helping to preserve our unique landscape and historic, urban, and rural viewscapes. Painting sales, the driving force behind the event and a clearer measure of success, increase each year with a grand total of $100,000 over the history of the event, providing support to the artists and the Shadows.
About the Shadows-on-the-Teche:
The Shadows-on-the-Teche, National Trust for Historic Preservation site, opened to the public in 1961 with the mission to preserve the buildings, landscape, collections, and historical integrity of the site; to research and interpret through education programs a 19th century southern Louisiana plantation economy and community and their evolution; and to encourage an appreciation of and interest in historic preservation. The
National Trust for Historic Preservation, which owns and operates the Shadows-on-the-Teche, is a private, non-profit organization. The Shadows does not receive funding from federal, state, parish, or city government. The site supports itself through admissions, special programs and events, and donations to the Friends of the Shadows. For more information, visit
ShadowsOnTheTeche.org.
For more information please contact Jayd Buteaux at (337) 369-6446 or
Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org and follow the event on
Facebook. Any funds raised from this event provide funding for art education.
