Artist Sue Mencini was the 2016 People’s Choice winner for the annual Kaleidoscope show.
Area art lovers will get the chance to see the best of local artistic talent in the 15th Annual “Kaleidoscope”: the Alliance for the Visual Arts’ Holiday Show, which opens Dec. 1 at Summit Artspace on East Market, 140 E. Market St., in downtown Akron.
This year’s juried exhibition, organized each year by the Alliance for the Visual Arts (AVA), will take place through Jan. 6. The show will open with a free Meet the Artists Reception and Awards on Friday, Dec. 1, 5 to 8 p.m., in the main gallery at Summit Artspace on East Market. The exhibition is free and open to the public.
Jurors are Patrick Melnick, dean of Academic Affairs at Virginia Marti College of Design in Lakewood, and Theresa Bembnister, associate curator at the Akron Art Museum.
The art exhibition was founded in 2003 by AVA, which is the umbrella group of four area arts organizations: Akron Society of Artists, Artists of Rubber City, Cuyahoga Valley Art Center and the Women’s Art League of Akron. Active members are eligible to compete in Kaleidoscope.
Cash prizes for the top juried winners will be announced at the opening event.
Gallery visitors will be able to vote for their favorite piece to win the Kaleidoscope Award, a working kaleidoscope designed and hand-blown by glass artist Bob Pozarski. The winner will be announced at the gallery during First Night Akron, Dec. 31, at 8 p.m. Summit Artspace on East Market will be open from 6 to 9 p.m. for the end-of-year event. Sue Mencini was the 2016 People’s Choice winner.
The AVA artists also will host free adult and children’s craft workshops at Summit Artspace. Workshops for youth 5 to 12 will take place Dec. 9. Sessions for adults will be Dec. 16. Register online at ow.ly/UvwG30gJS3C.
The Kaleidoscope artists will gather for a panel discussion on Thursday, Jan. 4, 7 p.m. in the main gallery surrounded by the artwork. The event is free. RSVP here: ow.ly/W58T30glyRS.
Summit Artspace’s main gallery is open Thursdays and Fridays, noon to 7 p.m.; and Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m. Additional hours include 5 to 9 p.m. during the Dec. 21 3rd Thursday and 5 to 9 p.m. for the Dec. 2 and Jan. 6 Artwalk events.
Summit Artspace is a non-profit community art center organization that provides studio, exhibit and programming spaces in Summit County and the surrounding area for local artists and arts organizations; and is a center for art education open to all residents. Contact Summit Artspace at (330) 376-8480. On the Web at www.summitartspace.org. Find us on Facebook, on Twitter @AkronAreaArts, Instagram and Snapchat.
