Artisphere Announces 2019 Artist Awards

$18,000 Distributed to Winning Participants

[Greenville, SC] The 15th Anniversary Artisphere festival presented by TD Bank features 135 artists from across the country selected from 952 submissions from 28 states. 36 of the artists are new to the festival this year.

On Friday, May 10th artist exhibitors were judged by festival jurors Devyn Vasquez (Penland School of Crafts Core Fellow), Sybil Godwin (Owner and Director – Shain Gallery Charlotte, NC) and Ashley Jones (Local Artist, Photographer). 10 cash awards including; Best in Show ($5,000), 1st Place 2D Mixed Media ($2,500), 2nd Place 2D Mixed Media ($1,000), 1st Place 3D Mixed Media ($2,500), 2nd Place 3D Mixed Media ($1,000), four Awards of Excellence ($500 each). The Mayor’s Choice Award ($500), selected by Haynworth-Sinkler Boyd was also distributed.

This year’s Best in Show winner was Richard Wilson (Drawing) of Greenville, NC. 2D 1st place went to Kiah Bellows (Mixed Media 2D) of Greenville, SC, and 2nd place was awarded to Joey Bradley (Painting Oil/Acrylic, Mixed Media 2D) of Greenville, SC. The 3D 1st place award went to Amber Marshall (Glass) of Spruce Pine, NC, and 2nd place went to Nicario Jimenez (Mixed Media 3D) of Naples, FL. Four Awards of Excellence were also distributed to Tara Locklear (Jewelry Semi-Precious) of Raleigh, NC, Chris Jeffries (Glass) of Laguna Beach, CA, Bounkhonkg Signavong (Fiber) of Secaucus, NJ, and Gregg Rasmusson (Ceramics) of St. Louis, MO. Mayor Knox White presented the 2018 Mayor’s Choice Award to Glory Day Loflin (Painting Oil/Acrylic) of Greenville, SC.

In addition to awards distributed on Artist Row, Artisphere distributed an additional $3,000 in awards to winners of the Artists of the Upstate Juried Exhibition as well as the Culinary Arts Café.

Peter Kaniaris of Anderson University juried the Artists of the Upstate Juried Exhibition sponsored by Prisma Health, Greenville Journal, and funded in part by Metropolitan Arts Council in March. Artists of the Upstate is designated for local artists within a 35-mile radius of Greenville. Kaniaris returned to the festival to select the Best in Show ($1,000), 2nd place ($750), 3rd place ($500), and an Award of Excellence ($250) winners.

This year’s Artists of the Upstate Best in Show was Hamed Mahmoodi. 2nd place was awarded to Kent Ambler, 3rd place to Kelly King, and Award of Excellence to Elizabeth Kenney.

Out of town media guests were invited to judge the Culinary Arts Café on their trip to Greenville. They tested dishes personally selected by all five participating restaurants- Larkin’s on the River, Cantina 76, Duke Sandwich Company, Crepe Du Jour, and The Trappe Door. Duke Sandwich Company was chosen as the Best in Show and awarded $500.

“Congratulations to the talented local and national 2019 award winners,” said David Lominack, South Carolina Market President, TD Bank. “TD Bank is proud to support the arts community across the Upstate and beyond through Artisphere.”

The 15h Anniversary Artisphere festival continues Saturday, May 11 from 10 AM- 8 PM and Sunday, May 12 from 11 AM- 6 PM.

For more information about artists, stage schedules or other festival attractions, visit www.artisphere.org.

About Artisphere

Artisphere is a highlight of Greenville’s cultural calendar and a Top 10 Fine Arts festival. The event features a juried Visual Artist Row; Artists of the Upstate, a juried exhibition of local artists; Outdoor Stages with performances by local and national artists; hands-on Kidsphere children’s art activities; the Culinary Arts Café that highlights local restaurants; and Special Festival Art Projects that enliven the streets of Greenville with street musicians, acrobats, sidewalk artists, and more. Artisphere is attended by approximately 90,000 patrons annually and has an estimated economic impact of $6.4 million on the Greenville community. Artisphere is a 501(c) (3) not for profit organization. For information visit www.artisphere.org.

About TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank®

TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S., providing more than 8 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at approximately 1,300 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Bank and its subsidiaries offer customized private banking and wealth management services through TD Wealth®, and vehicle financing and dealer commercial services through TD Auto Finance. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J. To learn more, visit www.tdbank.com. Find TD Bank on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TDBank and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US.

TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol "TD". To learn more, visit www.td.com.

Artist Row sponsor: GE, Artist Demonstration Row sponsor: Michelin, STEAM Exhibit sponsor: Clemson University, Art in Action Stage sponsors: RealOp Investments and Wells Fargo, Art of Healthy Living Exhibit sponsor: The Univeristy of South Carolina, Art Lab sponsor: Furman University, Artists of the Upstate Juried Exhibition sponsor: Greenville Health System and The Greenville Journal, Greenville County High School Exhibition sponsor: Current Tools, Main Stage sponsor: WYFF-4, Local Performing Arts Showcase sponsor: The Fred Collins Foundation, After Hours Concert Series sponsor: GSP Airport, Wine and Craft Beer Experience sponsor: SunTrust Bank, Culinary Arts Café Stage sponsor: Century BMW, Welcome Center sponsor: Windstream, VIP Hospitality sponsor: The Capital Corporation, Artist Hospitality sponsor: Aloft Greenville Hotel, Opening Night Gala sponsor: Coldwell Banker Caine, Ruth’s Chris, and Synnex, Sneak Peek Poster Unveiling Reception sponsors: TALK Magazine and Realty Link, Communal Sculpture sponsor: Metromont.

Aficionado Sponsors: iHEARTMedia, TOWN Magazine, The Greenville News, VisitGreenvilleSC, and ZWO. Connoisseur Sponsors: Engenius, Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A., GVL Today, Indexx, The Peace Center, and Triangle Construction. Collector Sponsors: Bank of America, Blue Ridge Electrical Cooperative, BMW Manufacturing, Kathy & Larry Burgamy, Centennial American Properties, Crawford Strategy, Dapper Ink, Design Strategies, Duke Energy, Elliott Davis, Embassy Suites Greenville Downtown RiverPlace, Gallivan White & Boyd P.A., Graphic Cow, Hall’s Chophouse, Larkin’s on the River Restaurant, Lowes Foods, Main + Stone, Nexsen Pruet, Pacolet Milliken, Table 301, Trehel Corporaiton, United Community Bank, WCM Global Wealth, World Acceptance Corporation, and Yeargin Potter Smith.

Artisphere is funded by grants from The City of Greenville, Greenville County, The Graham Foundation, Mary Alice Ingram Charitable Lead Unitrust, Metropolitan Arts Council, South Carolina Arts Commission, Jean T and Heyward G Pelham Foundation, The Roe Foundation, and South Carolina Parks Recreation Tourism.