East End Arts’ ‘INK’ Winners Announced

East End Arts announced Joseph Santarpia of Farmingville as the winner of “INK,” its seventh annual national juried art competition and exhibit. Guest juror Sara De Luca, owner and director of Amagansett’s Ille Arts, selected the work for the competition and showcase.

Santarpia’s alcohol ink painting, Of Earth: Violet II, was awarded Best in Show. He will receive $1000 and a seven-day stay in East End Arts’ artist Carriage House residence near Hamptons’ museums and galleries.

The show welcomed all ink media for submissions, including ballpoint, fountain pen, printmaking, Sharpie, India, and tattoo art submitted by photos. No desktop printer ink work was allowed.

“I render both representational and abstract imagery in my paintings and collages. In my representational paintings, I process personal experiences or those that others have shared with me. The collages are comprised of appropriated historical photographs or original paintings of which the subject matter is taken out of its original context and rearranged to create fantastical imagery with implied narratives,” Santarpia said.

Three additional works also received awards. First place went to Kristen Moger of Gap, PA for Hello, a hand-drawn micron ink on paper. Second place was awarded to Dawn Daisley of Oak Beach, NY for Siccus Planta 5, a soft ground zinc etching, dipped in encaustic and beeswax, and the North Fork’s Bob Mueller of Southold was third place for a monotype titled Lone Cedar.

“I began experimenting with the monotype process in 2010 and was immediately hooked,” Mueller said. “Working mostly in the subtractive process I slowly remove ink to form the image, combining strong draughtsmanship and the simplest of tools. I like to work on copper, which allows for better visual resolution of the tonal values. When asked, I tell people it is the art of making fine art with toothpicks and Q-tips,” Mueller continued.

An opening reception for INK will take place on Thursday, August 3, from 5 to 7 PM.

“We are pleased to be providing artists, both local and national, the opportunity to exhibit in a nationally recognized show with judges of formidable stature. Our annual national juried art shows have been an exciting addition to the significant art scene on Eastern Long Island,” said Pat Snyder, EEA executive director.

INK is sponsored by Hamptons Art Hub, and will be on display from August 3 through September 19 at the East End Arts Gallery, located at 133 East Main Street in Riverhead.

“Our national show attracted hundreds of entries from coast to coast. Sara De Luca, our juror, has an excellent eye and chose a broad spectrum of ink media, from monoprints to India ink to newly popular alcohol ink abstracts,” said Jane Kirkwood, EEA director. “Best-in-Show award winner Joseph Santarpia will be featured in one of Sara’s upcoming exhibits at the beautiful Ille Arts Gallery in Amagansett.”

All of the winning artists’ work will be available for purchase at the gallery.

East End Arts was established in 1972 and is a not-for-profit arts organization. It operates the School of the Arts and its own art gallery and presents a variety of events and programs to promote the arts year-round. Proceeds from all events, sales, classes, donations, and memberships benefit the mission and commitment to building and enriching the community through the arts by way of education, support, advocacy, and inspiration. Programs of the East End Arts Gallery are made possible with public funding provided by the New York State Council on the Arts, Suffolk County, and the Town of Riverhead.

jade@indyeastend.com
@JadeEckardt