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Date/Time
Date(s) - 06/26/2026 - 07/31/2026
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Location
Bowen Arts Center
Categories
Join us for our latest exhibition ROUND UP juried western show. This exhibit is free and open to the public!
This western curated event will be on display from June 26 to July 31, 2026 and is being sponsored by Georgia Council for the Arts as part of a collaborative effort with the current traveling show REIMAGINE: Contemporary Georgia Artists from the Georgia State art collection.
The purpose of this exhibition is to engage the community and accompanying activities and supplement each partner with a grant to incorporate local artist workshops, and educational opportunities for students and children in our Summer Art Adventures program. This show features western style also provides support to our community art center helping us enhance and promote the Rotary Club of Dawson County’s very own rodeo set for September!
We welcome you to view incredible fine art and photography taking inspiration from the style and creations of our great western culture – even if it’s located East of the Mississippi. This exhibit features amazing works by local and regional artists from 10 cities!
- Alpharetta: Melissa Beystehner
- Atlanta: Mike Ramy, Stephen Weiss
- Cumming: Fred Assaf
- Dahlonega: Ginny Greenwood, Paul Schiemer
- Dawsonville: Joe Kovarik, Robin Maloney, Tom Reed, Thomas Roberts, Audrey Robinson, James Smith, Lyn Smith, Dru Stowers
- Douglasville: Cindy Crews
- Gainesville: Kimberly “Lynn” Terrell, Cynthia C. Todd
- Jefferson: Karen Sturm
- Marble Hill: Steven Stone
- Tucker: Herman Donatelli
And even if we jail a few artists with prizes, we’ll have an attorney available for counsel – see image at left.
The major goal of the Bowen is to both encourage and challenge artists. Competitions are a healthy component of the growth process, creating opportunities to set and achieve goals, setting forth examples to follow, and rewarding excellence! [excerpts from Salon Int’l].
Entries for this juried event represent an extremely wide range of artistic skill and ability. For prizes, there is a review of over-all artistic excellence of all entries. To determine that artistic excellence, these components were considered heavily: composition/design, focal point, use of light/color, originality, creativity, feeling, and choice of subject matter. When a work is not selected for an exhibit it does not necessarily mean that the jury does not like or respect it. As with any competition, that line falls is always, at least partially, determined by space limitations.
Most Judges will review for the following criteria (in no particular order, as provided by one of our favorite judges, Amanda Shelnutt:
- A successful composition, display of skill and overall artistic quality.
- An exemplary understanding of technique and execution of medium/media.
- Understanding of theme (if any).
- Originality in concept or selection of subject.
- Individuality of style, a sense of place, sense of humor, or other emotion effectively conveyed in the piece. A sense of joy in creation!
- Proper finishing and readiness to present work for display- including but not limited to framing/mounting, varnishing, finishing the edges of a gallery wrap, etc.
- The small “stuff”- for example, is the work signed? Is it signed in a way that is a distraction from the piece? Is it lacking a signature entirely?
The Bowen Center for the Arts is located in the Historic “Old Rock School” circa 1941. Map us at 334 GA-9N, Dawsonville, GA 30534 (between Lanier Tech and Dawson Junior High in the historic district of old Dawsonville). For questions, contact me at director@bowenarts.org or call 706.216.2787, and hopefully I won’t be out mucking stalls. HOURS are TUES to FRI 10AM – 4PM, and SAT Noon to 4PM.
Bookings
Bookings are closed for this event.