Arts Council News – Fine Art Exhibition Awards

The Tipp City Area Arts Council wishes to thank all participants and congratulate the 2026 award-winning artists of the Fine Art Exhibition held at the Tipp Center from April 13-25. This year’s show featured over 70 artists from the Miami Valley region and beyond. Over 135 pieces of amazing art were on exhibit throughout the show for the public to view. An Artist Reception was held on April 12th at the Tipp Center to honor this year’s winners. The artists, their families, and guests; TCAAC board members, and other patrons of the arts, who were in attendance, enjoyed an evening of artistic camaraderie and fine food & drinks catered by the TCAAC Board.

2026 Fine Art Exhibition Winners

Amateur Category

Best of Show/Amateur: 

Connie Gilhooly “Sunbeams in the Trees”

Acrylic:

1st – John Williams “Game Board”

2nd – Bob Moore “Autumn Moon”

3rd – Ellen Noel “Winter”

Honorable Mention: Sharon Lange “Lady Liberty’s Lament”

Honorable Mention: Jeannie Noble “1983”

Water Media:

1st – Connie Gilhooly “Sunbeams through the Trees”

2nd – Nancy Dankworth “Crossing the Greens”

3rd – Mike Nygren “9 Doorways”

Honorable Mention – Dee Gillis “The Barn”

Honorable Mention – Lori Meyer “Peonies from My Garden”

Oils:

1st – Kim Ceccarelli “Grace and Strength”

2nd – Jennifer Davis “Restorative Hike on the Camino de Santiago”

3rd – Sharon Lange “Anya”

Honorable Mention – Dallas Rowlands “The Holding Trees”

Honorable Mention – Marla Uhrig “Horse in the Meadow”

Pastel:

1st – Jennifer Davis “Boardwalk View of Charleston Falls”

2nd – Marla Uhrig “Owl in Moonlight”

3rd – Kim Ceccarelli “Moment in Bloom”

Drawing: 

1st – Susan Richards “Carolina Wren”

2nd – Marla Uhrig “The Sorrel”

3rd – Dee Gillis “Canal Locks, Tippecanoe City”

3 Dimensional:

1st – Mike Nygren “15 against the Wind”

2nd – Angela Grillmeier “Lady in Waiting”

3rd – Frederic Hill “Area 51???”

Honorable Mention – Mojgan Samardar “The Emerald Ascent”

Honorable Mention - Sarah Wrona “Grace”

Photography:

1st – Jenna Mumford “Surface Tension”

2nd – Frederic Hill “Falls of Yellowstone”

3rd – Lynn Shirk-Terrell “Spring Reflections”

Honorable Mention – Brenda Jackson “Eldean Covered Bridge”

Honorable Mention - Lynn Shirk-Terrell “Winter Reflections”

Mixed Media:

1st – Shelly Rohr “Dream”

2nd – Erika Thornbury “My Glowing Gifts”

3rd – Jim Valekis “The Greek Shepherd”

Honorable Mention – Nancy Dankof “Game Night”

Honorable Mention – Carol O’Neal “Jackson Who?” 

Fiber: 

1st – Helen Willis “Pensacola Beach”

2nd – Janet Woodworth “Puzzled Feline”

3rd – Ruth Morse “To My Husband”

Honorable Mention – Ruth Morse “True Friends”

Honorable Mention – Barb Schneider “Tear Down That Wall”

Advanced Category

Best of Show/Advanced: 

Paul Rienzo “Monkeys in the Cupboard”

Acrylic:

1st – Paul Rienzo “Monkeys in the Cupboard”

2nd – Francis Trick “Light Sabers and the Force”

3rd – George Stum “Mr. and Mrs.”

Honorable Mention – Patty Brown “Cadiaeum Variegatum”

Honorable Mention – Cathy Pearson “Crazy Daisies”

Water Media:

1st – Samantha Ward “Tenacity”

2nd – John Buell “First Snow”

3rd – Stephanie House “Revenge of the Carb”

Honorable Mention – John Buell “The Patriot”

Honorable Mention – Evelyn Staub “Morning in Bloom”

Oils:

1st – Kay Cress “A Songwriter’s Studio”

2nd – Nicholas Culver “Yoshi’s Egg Harvest”

3rd – Stephanie House “Rays of Solitude”

Honorable Mention – Phillip Erbaugh “Painting in Colorado”

Honorable Mention – Chris Rowlands “Scouty Doodle”

Pastel:

1st – Elaine Balsey “Life Lines”

Honorable Mention – Katherine Taylor Green “Where Dreams Begin”

Drawing:

1st – Chris Rowlands “Look at those Eyes”

Honorable Mention – Kay Cress “Sadie”

Honorable Mention – Chris Rowlands “American Kestrel”

3 Dimensional:

1st – Ronald Landau “Indra’s Web”

2nd – Sam Grillmeier “Modern Life”

3rd – Sue Shira “Mountain Vista”

Honorable Mention – Ron Landau “Auric Wave”

Honorable Mention – Sue Shira “Flower Garden”

Photography:

1st – Ricki Lee Hahn “Blue Nebula”

2nd – Elizabeth Larsen “Spring’s First Breath”

3rd – Jamie Mumford “Broken”

Honorable Mention – Jamie Mumford “Diagonal”

Honorable Mention – Julia Mumford “Bloom Against the Blur”

Mixed Media:

1st – Francis Trick “Pink Garden”

2nd – Tami Beale “Laughter on the Lanai”

3rd – Daniel Ferguson “Rough Viewpoint”

Honorable Mention – Ronald Landau “Kintsugi #1”

Fiber:

1st – Lisa Bragg “Tree Frog”

Special Honors: 

Ellen Cotterman Award sponsored by the Ellen Cotterman Fund – Phillip Erbaugh “Country Sunset”

Jeryl Laux Award sponsored by Rusty Harden – Alana Adamo “Tear Catcher”

Olive Boyd Award sponsored by Ruth Safreed – Hal Hunter “Red Buckeye in Morning Light”

Gail Stickelman Award sponsored by Diana Stickelman – Mike Nygren “15 Against the Wind”

People’s Choice Award voted on by the Public – Rebekah Russ “Waterfall”

Glass Brush Award sponsored by TCAAC - The arts are valuable to community, enhancing the culture, attractiveness and financial influence of Tipp City.  The Glass Brush Award has been created to acknowledge individuals who have had a significant influence in making Tipp City a viable art community. This year’s recipients are Steve and Sally Watson.  

Nominator’s Statement: Owners and operators of the Hotel Gallery at the corner of Second and Main Streets, this couple has played a vital role in the cultural life of downtown Tipp City. Since the mid-1970s, the Hotel Gallery has served as the cornerstone of the downtown revival – drawing visitors and businesses while fostering art, music, festivals, and artistic expression throughout the community.