Spartanburg artist Scott Cunningham won first place in the Artists Collective | Spartanburg third annual Juried Exhibition that showcased the diversity of works within a four-state region.

Of the 500 pieces of artwork submitted by artists in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee for consideration, 70 were selected to be included in the exhibition, which remains open through Saturday, Oct. 23, in the 2,000-square-foot Solomon Gallery at Artists Collective | Spartanburg facility at 578 W. Main St.

Cunningham received $2,500 for his winning oil painting on panel titled “Fail. Safe. Fail.”

Other awards presented at the ceremony Oct. 2 were:
Second place ($1,000): Vivianne Carey, Spartanburg, S.C.
Third place ($500): Cecil Norris, Shelby, N.C.
Merit Award: Becky Hyatt Rickenbaker, Columbus, N.C.
Merit Award: Quiauna Wood, Spartanburg, S.C.
Merit Award: Mary Cooper McDonough, Seneca, S.C.
Merit Award: Michael England, Hartwell, S.C.
Merit Award: Roger Sledge, Waxhaw, S.C.
Merit Award: David Stuart, North Augusta, S.C.
Merit Award: Jan Swanson, Columbia, S.C.

“Our annual Juried Exhibition is only in its third year, but each year gets better and better,” says Beth Regula, chair of the management board of the Artists Collective | Spartanburg. “The exhibit this year is very diverse and the quality of the work is excellent. If you like paintings, ceramics, mixed media, pastels, basketry, woodwork and photography, it can all be found in this exhibit. There is still time to see it in person or go to our website at www.artistscollectivespartanburg.org to see the works and watch a video of the jurors. The video gives an insight to what the jurors saw when choosing some of the award winners.”

Judges for the exhibition were Mary Erickson, a North Carolina and Florida painter, and Denise C. Woodward-Detrich, director of the Lee Gallery at Clemson University.