On Friday, August 28, the Jury of Awards met at Brookgreen Gardens to decide the 15 prize recipients of National Sculpture Society’s 87th Annual Awards Exhibition. The Jury of Awards is composed of at least two sculptors and a curator and this year included James Arendt, Director, Rebecca Randall Bryan Art Gallery/Associate Professor, Coastal Carolina University; Paul Rhymer, Sculptor and Fellow of National Sculpture Society; and Logan Woodle, Sculptor and Assistant Professor of Sculpture, Coastal Carolina University.

The top honor, the Gold Medal & Charlotte Geffken Prize, went to Laguna Beach, California artist, Brittany Ryan.

Ryan is a faculty and department coordinator for Laguna College of Art and Design’s sculpture department. Among her many honors includes the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant (2015), 2nd Place at National Sculpture Society’s Richard McDermott Miller Competition (2019), and the Silver Medal/Maurice B. Hexter Prize at NSS’ 86th Annual Awards Exhibition (2019).

“Midwest Mermaid, along with the other sculptures in this body of work, investigates the beauty of people in transition from childhood to adulthood, as one becomes socially aware of the judgement of others and finding a place in a social group,” says Ryan. “These figures are contemporary and specific, not idealized, not without identity. These works examine the idea story and character- giving them a specificity of portrait, clothing and shape which imbues them with a force of will; putting them beyond the judgment placed upon common representations of sexuality and beauty.”

In May, the Jury of Selection chose 28 works from the 460 entries received from around the world. This year the Jury of Selection included John Coleman, Sculptor and NSS Fellow; Bruce Gagnier, Sculptor and New York Studio School Instructor; and Peter Trippi, Editor in Chief, Fine Art Connoisseur. The Jury of Awards and the Jury of Selection play an invaluable part in the Annual and we are grateful for those who participate in it.