Cherry Hill’s annual Art Blooms Juried Art Exhibit opened at Croft Farms Arts Center on May 6, welcoming artists, their friends and family and the community.
The exhibit’s pieces – displayed on the center’s wall – are comprised of painting, drawings and mixed media presented by the Cherry Hill Arts Board.
Artists were invited to enter up to three pieces each, for a fee of $10 each. The money benefits the Juried Photography Exhibit, which provides funding for the Gaye Pino Scholarship Award to students pursuing art, music and theater at the township high schools.
This year’s Cherry Hill East scholarship winner is theater student Madeleine Pierlott; West’s winner is Julian Dappolone, also a theater student.
Cherry Hill East theater student Madeleine Pierlott accepted her scholarship award at the exhibit on May 6.
A total of 67 pieces were chosen out of 137 submissions. Winning work for first, second and third place were on display at the back of the exhibit and labeled with their ranks.
Gwynn Di Pilla was the overall winner for her piece, “Simpler Times,” a watercolor painting depicting a vintage sign for a soda fountain that reads “Waltz Rexall.”
Di Pilla recalled seeing the Rexall sign on a visit to Maine.
“We went by it a couple times, and waited for the light to be just right, snapped the photograph and worked from there,” she recounted. “I specialize in watercolor, and I actually have quite a few students in the show.”
Second place for the exhibit went to Peter Ehlinger for his watercolor piece, “Butterflies and Bamboo,” which depicts a variety of colorful butterflies in a bamboo frame. Third place was awarded to James Frankovich for his pen and ink drawing, “Roadrunner.” It depicts a stylized person driving a car with an angry expression.
Next to the three winners were a collection of honorable mentions arranged on the same wall of the center. Jeff Chorney had multiple pieces in the show; his piece, “Let’s Communicate,” showed multiple teenagers in a group texting on their phones.
“Just getting into this show is in itself an accomplishment,” Chorney acknowledged. “The award is just being, having your piece accepted.”
Mayor Dave Fleisher was in attendance to celebrate the exhibit opening and observe what he described as record-breaking attendance.
“I think people are excited to be together, and we continue to give people the opportunity to participate and to be part of a broader community,” he observed. “And people are really embracing it.”
Each of the exhibit winners and those with an honorable mention accepted a certificate from the mayor in front of their pieces. Winners also received monetary prizes. Residents from throughout the township filtered in and out during the event.
“I’d like to say township is defined by geographic boundaries,” Fleisher said, “but a community is defined by events like this evening.”
The exhibit continues through Thursday.
