Arthur H. Trickett-Wile

WKU’s Kentucky Museum is seen Monday, Feb. 6, 2023 on the WKU campus in Bowling Green, Ky.

The Kentucky Museum is inviting Kentucky artists to compete in the annual Abound Credit Union Celebration of the Arts. 

For over 35 years, this exhibit has given local artists the chance to show off their work and celebrate the extensive art scene in South Central Kentucky. 

If you are 18 years or older and live within 65 miles of Bowling Green, you are eligible to enter this year’s competitive exhibition. 

Entries due are due Feb. 9 by 11:59 p.m. online or by 4 p.m. in person at the Kentucky Museum. Eligible art categories include ceramics and glass, drawing/Illustration, fiber art, graphic design/digital art, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture and watercolor. 

Students currently enrolled at WKU or SKYCTC can register for free this year. WKU can register at this link to receive a scholarship entry for the show, and SKYCTC students can reach out to Associate Professor C. David Jones for registration. 

There is a $20 entry fee for artists who are not students, and registration can be found at this link. 

Prizes for each category are $200 for first place, $150 for second place  and $100 for third place.

Other awards include the Kentucky Museum Purchase Award for $700, WKU Student Purchase Award for $350, Best of Show for $400, ArtWorks Merit Award for $200 and the World’s Greatest Studio Tour Merit Award for $100.

The WKU Student Purchase Award is a significant change added to this year’s competition, Tiffany Isselhardt, Kentucky Museum exhibit curator, said. 

In previous exhibitions, there has only been one Kentucky Museum Purchase Award where the winning piece of art is added to the museum’s permanent collection, Isselhardt said. This new award has been added to increase student art work in the museum’s collection.

“This year we decided to do a specific student purchase award because we want to grow our collection of student produced art,” Isselhardt said.

According to Isselhardt, this change will grant more students the chance to have their art displayed and give students the professional opportunity to say their work is in a collection.

The awards ceremony will be hosted by the museum on Mar. 1 from 6-8 p.m and the exhibit will be open to the public from Mar. 2 to Apr. 12. 

“This is kind of the big show down here in South Central Kentucky,” Isselhardt said. “Bowling Green and surrounding counties don’t get as recognized for the art scene we have. It’s huge and diverse, and this show is that opportunity to show off just how awesome we are.” 

News reporter Madison Carter can be reached at [email protected].