For the third time in five years, Fort Wayne area artist Fred Doloresco captured the first-place prize at the Indiana Heritage Arts Exhibition and Sale at the Brown County Art Gallery.
The IHA Show, now celebrating its 39th year, is one of the largest art competitions in the Midwest and features traditional-style work by the best Indiana artists.
More than 124 artists entered nearly 340 works of art. Judge Lori Putnam of Charlotte, Tennessee, chose the artists for the show and then picked the 22 prize winners who will share more than $20,000.
First prize for his oil painting, “Snow Vestured Story,” earned Doloresco $5,000.
Second place went to Dan Bulleit of Greenville for his painting, “Dancing in the Shadows,” and third place was awarded to C.W. Mundy of Indianapolis for “Cap Ferrat, France.”
For the first time in 10 years, an artist received a second prize in the same year. Mundy also received an Award of Excellence for an oil painting titled “Roses.”
Each year the board selects one piece from the show to add to the IHA collection. “Snow Vestured Story” is the 17th addition to the collection in honor of the late Frances “Fran” Rogers of Nashville, one of the early IHA presidents and organizers of IHA.
Awards of Excellence, in addition to Mundy, went to David Dale of Muncie, Dan Woodson of Muncie and Steve Dodge of Martinsville.
All paintings in the show are for sale. The show, free to the public, hangs until Saturday, July 1. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.
