Visitors choose favorite art at the Church History Museum
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The voting has ended, the ballots are closed and the favorites have been selected.
Some 13,000 exhibit patrons to the Church's Eight International Art Competition cast votes over the past five months for their favorite works of art. Three LDS artists who participated in the popular "Remembering the Great Things of God" exhibit were selected as winners of the Visitors' Choice Awards. Painters Al Young, Greg Olsen and Joseph Franklin Brickey each received $500 for their winning entries. Their works are among the 197 pieces of art included in the competition on display at the LDS Conference Center in Salt Lake City.
Brother Young's painting "The Mother of All Living" depicts Eve as a modern young mother who gazes heavenward for guidance in her daily life. Brother Young writes in his description of the painting that he chose to focus on Eve's optimism and faith as a mother raising children in a difficult and fallen world.
The subject of Brother Olsen's "No Greater Love" is the Savior suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane. Christ is depicted in fervent prayer, grasping a boulder for support as He contemplates His atoning sacrifice.
Brother Brickey's "They Did Not Doubt" depicts an imagined moment inspired from the Book of Mormon. Two young stripling warriors bid farewell to their loving mother before leaving for battle. The warriors have been taught well and are prepared for the challenges that await them.
Runners-up in the patron balloting include the works of Adam Abram, Benjamin McPherson, Larry Winborg and John Zamudio. Other favorites include the works of Anita Mae Hart-Carroll, Gwenola Welche, Annette Everett and Jay Ward.
Curators noted that the patrons' favorites often differed from those works that were honored by a panel of judges prior to the opening of the exhibit. Robert Davis of the Church History Museum noted that the top 25 favorites selected by visitors included only eight of the original 38 winners in the formal judging.
The triennial competition has become a global art event. Almost 1,100 professional and amateur artists from 44 nations submitted entries for "Remembering the Great Things of God." More than a quarter of those participants came from outside the United States.
The Church's international art competition began 22 years ago in an effort to produce and support inspiring works of art. Many pieces of art from the competitions have been utilized in Church magazines, publications and lesson manuals to illustrate and enrich gospel teachings and principles. Several pieces that were first seen in one of the competitions now hang in print form in temples and meetinghouses throughout the world.
"Remembering the Great Things of God" will be open in the Conference Center's Grand Atrium Foyer through Oct. 11, 2009. The exhibit will be closed over the general conference weekend, Oct. 2-4, for security and crowd control purposes. After the exhibit closes, it will continue to be featured on the Church History Museum's web site at lds.org/churchhistory/museum.
Preparations for the 9th International Art Competition in 2012 are already underway. The theme for that competition is "Make Known His Wonderful Works." Entry information will be posted on the museum web site in the near future.
