Madison Chautauqua Festival of Art
Floyd
Knobs, Ind.’s Hillegas
wins 2012 ‘Best of Show’
She
teaches art classes and
creates prints of originals for artists
By
Don Ward
Editor
(October 2012) – Cathy Hillegas is not only an
artist but has found a way to make a living on her talents by teaching
art and making prints from original artwork for herself and other artists.
But painting her own nature, floral and landscape scenes at home at her
kitchen table remains her primary passion – something she has done
full time now for 19 years.
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Photo
by Don Ward Madison Chautauqua Coordinator (far left in front) on Sept. 30 presented the judged awards to (front row from left) Jeri Landers (Best Presentation); Cathy Hillegas (Best of Show); Carol Reesor (First, Fine Art); Jeff Vollmer (First, Craft); Merry Fourhman of the Chautauqua Committee; (back row from left) Sean Corner (Second, Craft); Carole Gordon (Third, Fine Art); Patti Monroe-Mohrenweiser (Second, Fine Art); and Sharon Milliner (Third, Craft). |
Her talent was rewarded Sept. 30 at the 2012 Madison Chautauqua
Festival of Art when judges selected Hillegas as this year’s “Best
of Show” exhibitors. She earned the award from a field of 250 exhibitors
taking part in the 42nd annual show in downtown Madison, Ind.
She joined a handful of other exhibitors who were selected by the three
Chautauqua judges – two from Madison and another who serves as an
assistant director at St. James Court Art Show in Louisville. Madison
Chautauqua Coordinator Georgie Kelly presented the awards Sunday morning
on the North Lawn of the Lanier Mansion State Historic Site, which is
located in the middle of the two-day art show.
Carol Reesor of Buffalo, Ky., won First Place in Fine Art. She is a fine
art 2-Dimensional oil and watercolorist.
Second Place Fine Art went to Patti Monroe-Mohrenweiser of Brighton, Mich.
She is a fine art artist and calligrapher. Third Place in Fine Art was
presented to Carole Gordon of Utica, Ky. She is a fine art watercolorist
specializing in equestrian art.
First Place in Craft was presented to Jeff and Lynn Vollmer of Cincinnati.
They create wooden puzzles and jewelry boxes. Second Place in Craft went
to Sean Corner of Wichita, Kan. He makes figurative clay sculptures. Third
Place in Craft was given to Sharon Milliner of Mt. Washington, Ky. She
makes wearable art such as Nuno felted scarves with detachable flowers.
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Photo
by Don Ward Merry
Fourhman of the |
Hillegas is a previous award winner at the Chautauqua, having
one Second Place in Fine Art in 2007. But this was the first time she
took top honors.
It comes on the heels of another prestigious honor. One of her watercolor
paintings was featured as the front cover of the hard-bound book, ‘Splash
13: The Best of Watercolors,” published in August by North Light.
“That was a really big deal for me,” said Hillegas. “I’m
really proud of it. And winning Best of Show here in Madison is also a
great honor.”
The Floyd Knobs, Ind., watercolor artist not only paints but teaches four
adult watercolor classes a week in Floyd Knobs. She also owns a high powered
digital camera and ink jet printer that she uses to create prints of her
original artwork and that of other artists. The prints are then sold at
the shows she attends.
Hillegas takes part in many regional juried art shows, including St. James
Court Art Show, Fourth Street Bloomington (Ind.), Art in Speed Park in
Sellersburg, Ind., and Harvest Homecoming in New Albany, Ind.
The show was benefitted by nice weather in the 70s. Festival organizers
said Saturday attracted one of the largest ever crowds.