NEW IBERIA, La. --- The 9th annual Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air Painting Competition held its Awards Ceremony and Fine Art Sale on Friday, March 17 at the Shadows Visitor Center. Judge Dawn Whitelaw presented the awards for this year’s winners.

• Best of Show: Kari Ganoung Ruiz from Interlaken, NY for “Morning Search”
• 2nd Place: Phil Sandusky from New Orleans, LA for “White in Light”
• 3rd Place: Antwan Ramar from Orlando, FL for “Mechanical Tide”
• 4th Place: Richard Sneary from Kansas City, MO for “Mouton House”
• Honorable Mention: Kathleen Gray Farthing from Alliance, OH for “Blue Moon Kitty”
• Best Nocturnal: Jordan Zoscak from Candler, NC for “Andy’s Porch”
• Best Architectural: Marc Anderson from Wauwatosa, WI for “Alumni House”
• Best Boat: Neal Hughes from Medford, NJ for “Delcambre Colors”
• La Petite Peinture (The Little Painting): Beth Bathe from Lancaster, PA for “The Voice of the Gardens”
• 1st Place Quick Draw-Juried Artist: Karen Philpott from Thompson Station, TN 
• 2nd Place Quick Draw-Juried Artist: Crista Pisano from Nyack, NY for “Cathedral Oak (Top)”

Mark your calendars! The 10th annual Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air Competition will be March 9-16, 2024. 

Special Awards:

The Artist Choice Award was presented to Antwan Ramar of Orlando, FL for “Mechanical Tide.” Artists participating in this year’s competition submitted votes for their selection of best painting.

New Iberia Mayor Freddie DeCourt presented the Mayor’s Award to Jeff Williams of Stillwater, OK for “New Iberia.” The Mayor’s Award, sponsored by Wyatt and Becky Collins, celebrates the beauty, culture, and history of the city of New Iberia. Williams’ painting will hang in New Iberia’s City Hall in perpetuity.

Iberia Parish President Larry Richard presented the Parish President’s Award to Krystal Brown of Kingwood, TX for “Royal.” The Parish President’s Award celebrates the beauty, culture, and history of Iberia Parish.

Wendell Verrett, Director of the Twin Parish Port District, presented the award for Best Delcambre Painting to Beth Bathe of Lancaster, PA for “L’Ange Celeste.” Ms. Bathe’s painting was completed during the Paint Delcambre day, held Sunday, March 12, where the Delcambre Seafood & Farmers Market welcomed competing artists to a day of beautiful weather, painting, food from Dwight’s, and music. For his award, Ms. Bathe will be receiving local seafood shipped directly to her front door and a cash prize sponsored by Representative Blake Miguez.

Cindy Herring, representing the Kiwanis Club of New Iberia, presented the Preserving History Award to Susan Bunce Ritter of Perrysburg, OH for “Restored Shotguns.” The Preserving History Award, sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of New Iberia, is meant to showcase a building or landscape that is integral to the history of the city of New Iberia.

Representative Beau Beaullieu presented the Louisiana Natural Beauty award to Mary O. Smith of Steinhatchee, FL for “Taking a Load Off.” Rep. Beaullieu sponsored the award, which is meant to highlight Louisiana’s unique landscape.

Supporters/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:

• Event Sponsors: The National Trust for Historic Preservation, Iberia Parish Convention & Visitors Bureau, Plein Air Magazine, Community First Bank, Wyatt and Becky Collins, The Bazus, Delcambre Seafood and Farmers Market, Louisiana Direct Seafood, Twin Parish Port District, Bayou Carlin Cove, Hilliard Art Museum, and the City of New Iberia
• Monet Sponsors: Cindy Herring Real Estate, Kiwanis Club of New Iberia, Cane River Pecan Company, Iberia Parish President Larry Richard, Atchafalaya National Heritage Area, Barnel’s Art & Framing Gallery, and Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers
• Van Gogh Sponsors: Representative Beau Beaullieu, District 48, Representative Blake Miguez, District 49, Golden Artist Colors, and Castaing Hussey & Lolan, LLC
• Degas Sponsors: Blick Art Materials, Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff, Holbein Artist Materials, Gamblin, Vasari, Wind River Arts, and Randal Bergeron
• Friends of Shadows Plein Air: Greater Iberia Chamber of Commerce
• Wyatt and Becky Collins, Cathy Indest, Suzy Shea Kimball, and Simone Guillory for providing food and hospitality for the artists
• Viator & Associates for supplying linens and flowers
• Ben Hickey, Curator at the Hilliard Art Museum, for judging the Quick Draw
• Alexandre Mouton House, Lafayette Art Association, Moncus Park, South Regional Branch of the Lafayette Public Library, and UL Alumni Center for hosting demos by the artists
• Avery Island Inc. and Rip Van Winkle Gardens for waiving entry fees for artists

Shadows Plein Air would also like to thank Beanie Bonin, Walteen Broussard, Burton Cestia, Dan & Kathy Chassee, Edward Duhe, Lawrence Eribarne, Jerri LeClair & Larry Hensgens, Simone Guillory, Cindy Herring, Stacy Pourciau, Jady Regard, Jeff & Margaret Simon, Elizabeth Terrell, and Jerome & Michael Weber for opening their homes to the artists throughout the week.

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 eight-year history of the competition, over 180 artists from 28 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 $170,000 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 JButeaux@savingplaces.org. Any funds raised from this event provide funding for art education.