2025 Paul and Norma Tikkanen Painting Prize

Description

Fourth Annual Paul and Norma Tikkanen Painting Prize Ashtabula Arts Center 2928 W. 13 St. Ashtabula, OH 44004ashtabulaartscenter.org facebook.com/ashartscenter Phone: (440) 964-3396Calendar:Jun 1-Jul 18, 2025: Art Call digital first round application (include high resolution image) YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO APPLY BEFORE JUN 1.July 19- July 23: Online jury process to continue to second roundJul 24: Notification for artists to continue to second, in-person roundAug 2-8: Drop off of second round selectionsAug 8-10: In-person jury processAug 11: Second round notification for artists Aug 12-16: Retrieval of cut artworksOct 4: Show opens at the Ashtabula Arts CenterOct 4: Public reception and award ceremony, 6-9 p.m.Oct 31: Show closesNov 1-9: Artwork pick-upPrizes:2 $12,000 First Place prizes
2 $6,000 Second Place prizes
6 Possible $1,200 Optional Honorable Mention prizesEligibility (artists must reside in one of the following):Counties in OH: Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Summit, Trumbull
Counties in PA: Crawford, Erie, Lawrence, MercerEntry Fee:$15 per piece. Each applicant limited to 2 entries.
Rights and Responsibilities:All accepted artworks must remain at the AAC through October 31Gallery will collect 30% commission on all sales.AAC shall have the right to use images of exhibited artworks for the catalog and all promotional purposes.Artwork drop-off and pick up must be done in person. All works will be signed into and out of the AAC.All pieces must be wired ready to hang. Works which are not appropriately wired will not be displayed.Unclaimed artwork becomes the property of the AAC on Nov 30, 2025.Artworks are covered by insurance while in possession of the AAC. They are not covered during transportation to and from the AAC.The Arts Center has the right to accept or reject any artworks for any reason.Artwork:Prizes will be awarded for abstract & realistic workCategorization of individual works will be decided by the judgesAccepted mediums: Gouache, Fresco, Encaustic, Ink (Sumi-e), Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor, Alcohol Inks, Tempera, Mixed Media Painting (Jurors will have final say on acceptable mediums. 85% of the painting should be a painting medium.) Originals only; no giclees, no prints, no wet paint.Pre-wired; include a fragile piece disclaimer if neededCompleted in the last 3 yearsMaximum size 4ftx4ft; max weight 25lbsHigh school students not eligibleDigital Image Specifications:At least 300dpi and at least 4x6 inces (in pixels this is at least 1300x1750 pixels) at that resolution. Bigger is better.
File formats: jpg, png, gif, jpeg
File size: 5 MB Maximum
File names: artist first name, last name, and title of work, separated by underscores and not spaces (ex: Norm_Abrahms_The_Farm.jpg)Jurors:Francesco Lo CastroPip BrantGavin PerryJuror Bios:South Florida-based artist Francesco Lo Castro creates immersive installations that blend projection mapping, light, soundscapes, painting and sculpture. His works fuse styles like Art Deco, Italian Futurism, Op Art, and Finish Fetish with modern technology and handcrafted elements. Originally a traditional painter, Lo Castro evolved from abstraction to three-dimensional sculptures and large-scale installations, where he explores narratives through multiple artistic disciplines. His painting process involves intricate layering of pigments, acrylics, spray paints, and epoxy resin, creating handcrafted works that appear machine-made at first glance. Francesco Lo Castro was born in Catania, Italy in 1976, raised in Germany, and transplanted to South Florida in the early 90s. He’s the founder of Pop Art Studios a creative services agency and launch pad for all projects under the ‘LOCASTRO’ moniker. In 2006, he curated the Art Basel week Exhibition at the Art Center/ South Florida, Miami Beach, which with over 40,000 visitors set the institution’s highest attendance record to date. He is also co-founder of the 2008 VANGUARD Art Fair, which merged with AQUA Art Fair the year after, establishing the first expo of its kind to emphasize emerging trends in specific New Contemporary movements of the time. Lo Castro’s artwork has been exhibited internationally in galleries and institutions, including MOCA North Miami, MOCA Nashville, and Orlando Museum of Art. He has been featured in numerous publications and is listed among the creatives who helped forge the South Florida art community in the definitive books ‘Miami Contemporary Artists,’released by Schiffer Publishing in 2007, and ‘100+ Degrees In The Shade: A Survey of South Florida Art,’ released by [NAME] publications in 2015. Pip Brant has degrees from the University of Montana BFA, painting and metalsmithing) and the University of Wyoming. (MFA, painting and printmaking). Brant grew up on the western Plains Indian reservations (Sioux, Cheyenne, Assiniboine) where the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Public Health employed her family. She has lived and worked in Montana, Wyoming, London, England, and Missouri and in 1999 moved to Florida to take a studio teaching position at Florida International University. She has exhibited in Northern Ireland, Germany, Lithuania and London. England as well as nationally, including venues in New York, California, Illinois, as well as the western states. The year of teaching at Missouri’s Truman State University, 1997- 98, introduced her to working with surface design. This introduction to the subversive use of found cloth and the needle arts has affected her art making as well as her teaching. Brant offers a fibers course as well as teaching painting and drawing at FIU. Brant chooses to refer to her background in painting when she approaches performance art and other multimedia experiences. A year of acting studies in North London and 16 years of formalmusical training also will augment these performances. As an associate professor at Florida International University, and before that appointment, Brant has curated numerous exhibitions featuring painting, installations and performance. These have been venues in museums in the United States (Wyoming, Oregon, Montana, Colorado, Illinois)as well as Dusseldorf, Germany. In 1992 she was awarded the Wyoming Visual Arts Fellowship. In 1993 her work in the collaborative art group, Kunstwaffen was awarded a New Forms Consortium Grant forCattle/Text Interaction. In 2003 she won the South Florida Cultural Consortium for Visual and Media arts. Currently she is an associate professor in the Department of Art and Art History atFlorida International University, Miami, Florida. Brant’s work embraces the use of the absurd and humor and cites the plays and philosophy of Bertold Brecht as a major influence. Hollywood, Florida 2025Gavin Perry- Born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. Graduated from the Tyler School of Art with degrees in Painting and Printmaking. Exhibited nationally and internationally. Solo gallery exhibitions at Fred Snitzer Gallery, Miami FL; Barbara Davis Gallery, Houston TX and Sultana Gallery, Paris FR. Short listed in 2012 for the Pratt Prize in Paris FR. Short listed for the Orlando Painting Prize in 2021. In numerous private and public collections nationally and internationally.