It was an honor to be asked to Jury the Mary S. Oakley and Lee Lindsay Artist Showcase. I owe my gratitude to Jennifer Teter and the entire staff of the Quincy Art Center for their hospitality and making the task an easy one. As a Director, Exhibitions Manager, and artist myself, I know how difficult it is to put together an exhibition, and the equally difficult work of creating a piece of artwork and offering it to the jury process.

There were over 200 works to choose from in curating this show. It was a joy to see the immense talent your region possesses as well as the scope of media usage. Lacking a “theme” to jury from, I attempted to select for the viewer a representative collection of oil paintings, watercolors, sculptures, ceramics, textiles, collage, and other mixed media. In the pieces selected, I tried to find repeating themes, palettes, and tones in order to create a little unity from the many differences. Especially evident in the award winners, there are exemplary pieces even within this selection. Not only elegant as creative works, they are well crafted and evidence of a patient and passionate artist.

I hope the visitors of the Quincy Art Center are pleased with the selection presented and are exposed to a new artist, technique, or idea. My deepest thanks to all the artists who submitted, whether selected for this show or not. It was my pleasure to see so much skill and passion in your work.

Melissa Whitwam, MFA

Executive Director at the Foundry Art Centre