atias

Art collectors, Mario and Talia Atias are a husband and wife team from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Although not professionally trained as artists, both have a strong interest in the arts and are avid supporters of local art institutions. Talia has designed and painted silk scarves, and Mario is an amateur photographer and painter. Both love to travel, during which they spend far too much time in art museums and galleries.

JUROR'S STATEMENT ON THE SEND ME A POSTCARD SHOW:

In the age of smartphones when you can snap your own "postcard" image, the 2nd and 3rd place entries reminded us of the "classic" or traditional role of the postcard: to convey an iconic image from a place you have visited for your friends and family who are far away. Roeli Rumscheit's Holiday Greetings from Holland 4 done in oil, beautifully captured the essence of a Dutch landscape with the church steeples and the faraway windmill. For us it was the embodiment of a postcard in its purest form.

Seattle Rain by Molly Williams done in colored pencil and ink was perhaps a little less nostalgic, but had an element of humor which we appreciated: it shows the most iconic structure in Seattle, the Space Needle, seeking shelter under a colorful umbrella. Williams' use of a grey, black and blue palate for everything but the umbrella, captures the essence of a city often defined by its greyness, but the vivid colors of the umbrella alleviate the mood, as if saying, "I know it is rainy, but I'm still having a great time."

The first place winner, Postcards by Glenn Leung, was the most interesting and creative entry for us on so many levels. It conveyed a more updated use of the postcard for the 21st century; namely, as a vehicle to announce an upcoming event, such as a dental appointment, a gallery opening, or an upcoming contest or competition. Leung actually drew the announcement for the Send me a Postcard Competition as part of his entry. We found this 'self-referential' aspect quite delightful! We also appreciated the inclusion of the more traditional landscapes, wildlife and objects d'art on the postcards within the postcards. Using a different medium for each fragment of a postcard added more interest to the entire entry. We regret that we could not have the original piece of art in front of us, but had to rely on an electronic image. We're sure that there are lots more interesting and whimsical aspects to this entry that we quite possibly have missed...