Friday Harbor artist Susan Williams won two awards from the Anacortes Art Festival.
Williams was granted the “Bill Mitchell Memorial Award” by the Festival Curatorial Team. She also received the “Art in Schools Purchase Award,” funded by Keith Sorenson and her art was purchased for Whitney Elementary School. The event ran Aug. 2-4 in Anacortes and nearly 60 artists competed to win the few awards available.
“Many months ago Susan submitted three photos of her work to the jury of the Arts at The Port Exhibition,” Williams’ husband Keith Busha wrote in a press release. “All three were accepted. While attending the opening of the Anacortes Arts Festival Gala she found that she had won the first-ever Bill Mitchell Award. Bill was the man responsible for painting all of the murals that can be found in the town of Anacortes.”
Busha added that Williams wasn’t aware of the art festival even had awards and this was the first judged festival in which she participated. Her favorite award, he said, was the people’s choice since it represented the general public’s opinion of her work.
The piece purchased by the school district is titled “Yates” and will be on display in the schools as a way to help inspire young people to tell stories thru their art, Busha explained.
“This was fun! Influenced by the traveling peddlers of medieval days. Yates carries an assortment of papers, packages and precious objects to sell and trade,” Williams explained on her website, www.rosebladeart.com/. “Right now he and Percival, the flying bird, are taking a well-deserved rest after a long flight.”
Williams is the formal artistic director of the San Juan Island Community Theatre. She is also a member of the San Juan Islands Museum of Art and has been involved in the artist studio tour for six years.
Susan was the past Artistic Director of the Community Theater, member of the San Juan Museum of Art, has been involved in the Art studio Tour for six years.
Busha said that Williams is very grateful for all of the attention that her work has received lately and is now busy in her studio creating more works of art to share.
