MANSFIELD — Visitors have less than two weeks to view nearly 200 crow-inspired art pieces in the Mansfield Art Center.
The third annual Crow Fest show features paintings, sculptures, interactive art and more. The art center hosted its opening day on Saturday and announced awards for 10 pieces, gifting the artists glass pumpkins from the MAC.
Jennifer Beavis, MAC marketing director, thanked Mansfield Art Center staff and volunteers for moving artwork from the “Proximity of Fate” show and organizing the Crow Fest displays on the first and second floors of the building.
“We thought about not doing Crow Fest this year because of our schedule and how hectic it was going to be, but all of these incredible artists wanted to be involved again,” she said. “The art is breathtaking and I’m super-pleased with how it came together.”
Beavis said artists from across the Ohio and as far as Chicago came to the opening ceremony Saturday.
“Our crow overlords are pleased,” Beavis said.
MAC staff also announced the following awards Saturday:
- Award for 3 Dimensional Work: Thomas Baldwin, “Altered Landscape.”
- Award for Mixed Media: Mindy Duncan, “This and Nothing More.”
- Award for Painting: Amber J. Evans, “Bedroom Treasury.”
- Award for Technical Skill: Evangelia Philippidis, “Improvise, Adapt, Overcome.”
- Award of Innovation: Autumn Cadle, “Invasive Desolation.”
- Best in Crow: Daniel McDonald, “Son’s (O)man.”
- Crow’s Choice: Evelia Sowash, “Aerial: Sky of Honey.”
- Dimension & Detail: Mary Holobaugh, “Watering Hole.”
- Punniest Crow: Will Oberdier, “A Couple of Rookies.”
- Staff’s Choice: Darla Logan Stampfli, “Where the White Crows Go.”
AU professor earns ‘Best in Crow’
Daniel McDonald, chair of the Ashland University Art and Design department and professor of sculpture, earned the “Best in Crow” award for his sculpture “Son’s (O)man.”
The steel sculpture features binoculars for viewers to look at a copy of his son Milo’s ultrasound.
“This piece is about how I felt when my wife and I found out we were having a fourth baby,” he said. “Milo’s 14 now.
“At the time, we didn’t know what to do, we had two cars that fit five people and we were about to have six people in our family. This piece explores the positive and nervous reactions to something like that.
“The name of the piece is a play on a biblical reference to the Son of Man and God.”
Beavis said MAC staff were surprised with McDonald’s work.
“We thought it was going to be a small piece but it blew us away as he was telling us about it and we were bringing it in — it’s stunning,” she said.
Next year’s Crow Fest will show the artwork for six weeks at the Art Center and Beavis said the Art Center plans to bring the masquerade ball back.
The Art Center will showcase Crow Fest art through Nov. 9. The art center is located at 700 Marion Ave. and open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
