MEA members’ artwork to be celebrated at June 9 reception  

EAST LANSING – The MEA today announced winners of the 61st Michigan Education Association-Michigan Art Education Association Art Acquisitions Purchase Awards.  More than 70 pieces were selected from this year’s approximately 170 entries.

A reception to honor this year’s entries will be held Monday, June 9, from 5-8 p.m. at MEA headquarters, 1216 Kendale Blvd. in East Lansing. The public is welcome to attend.

The annual event welcomes original artwork submissions, including paintings, drawings, prints, ceramics, jewelry, metal work, enamels, mosaics, wood, fibers, stained glass, photographs, experimental media and sculptures crafted by MEA members. The MEA-MAEA art exhibition features work from dozens of MEA members from every corner of Michigan.

The MEA Art Acquisitions Committee, a voluntary group of MEA members, works with a professional juror to organize the annual exhibition. Out of this collection, the committee chooses pieces for MEA to purchase and display in MEA offices across the state to promote and celebrate the creative talents of our members. This year’s winning entries can be viewed on MEA’s website.

The 2025 winning entries are:

Best in Show: Gabby Marderosian, Farmington Public Schools elementary art teacher. Marderosian’s acrylic painting, “Strike in Nashville,” depicts a fun outing to the bowling alley with friends and family in the moment of her sister rolling a strike.

“I was playing a lot with color and lighting and the contrast in warm versus cool colors,” she explained. “There was a teal neon sign that lit the bowling alley in an interesting way with the reds of the lanes. Normally lighting is more on the warm side and shadows are cool, so it was interesting that the neon light was cool and the shadows were on the warmer side.”

Juror Mirvia Sol Eckert, a Puerto Rican painter and artist in Indianapolis, said she chose “Strike in Nashville” because of its composition, contrast in colors, and dramatic storytelling.

“The technique and skill employed in this piece drew me in, encouraging me to return for a closer examination,” she said. “The narrative behind the artwork intrigued me, making it a standout entry among many of the submissions.”

Juror’s Choice Awards

• Sarah Crabtree: “Would You?”
• Shari Russano: “Summer”
• Kevin McCown: “State of Michigan”
• Julie Leopold Fernandez: “Chasing Blue Dreams”
• Jeanine Smith: “Bursting pod”
• Josh Gove: “Juxtaposition in Jazz”
• Christine Keefer: “Solstice Blessing”
• Ashley Wallner: “Flamboyant”
• Annie Howard: “Love Grows Here”
• Sherri St Clair: “Spring Bloom”

MAEA Purchase Award

• Keith Beale: “C-Pink and Blue”

MEA Purchase Awards

• Jacquelyn Dehring: “Barely Awake”
• Lynn Gregg: “Holding Tight to Mom”
• Suzanne Butler Lich: “Michigan Morning Walk”
• Dan Slagter: “Fire”
• Kristina Barauskas: “Gerve”
• Craig Linderman: “Mutation”
• Molly McNeece: “Ray of Sunshine”
• Jacquelyn Dehring: “Banty”
• Victoria Hussey: “Iconic Mackinac”
• Christine Keefer: “On the Rocks”
• Kevin McCown: “State of Michigan”

Honorable Mention

• Jim Banas: “Window Shopping @ The Art Prize”
• Carolyn Steenland: “Midnight”
• Catherine Hetherington: “In the Light”
• Qynce Chumley: “Scanning”
• Christopher Giroux: “one-ness”
• Bethany Goforth: “Makin’ Deliveries”
• Barb Piper: “Tri-Bowl”
• Dan Slagter: “Aqua”
• Shari Russano: “Poplars”
• Meagan Whittle: “Treasures of the Tide”

“I would like to personally congratulate these outstanding educators for their amazing and inspiring artwork and look forward to showcasing their many talents at our June 9 reception,” said MEA President and CEO Chandra Madafferi. “Our annual exhibit highlights the many diverse talents of our members and celebrates their continued commitment to our students and the education profession.”