Spotlight to shine on seniors’ award-winning art entries

Some local senior artists are celebrating life a little more than usual.

The city of Las Vegas Arts Commission and the city announced the winners for the 14th annual Celebrating Life! fine arts competition May 23.

Henderson-area resident Stan Loewenkamp, 73, was the recipient of the $500 Best in Show Award for his oil painting “Virgin River.”

“I thought it was great,” Loewenkamp said. “I had no idea I won Best in Show. Each competition is up to the jurors. In one show, you can win all these awards, and in another show, you may not even get in.”

Born and raised in Indiana, Loewenkamp studied commercial and watercolor art at the Chicago Academy for the Arts for a year after high school before joining the Army.

“I decided it was better to just get it over with before I got drafted,” Loewenkamp said. “I had about 30 years of active duty and National Guard. I served a couple tours in Vietnam and a couple in Germany.”

After Loewenkamp retired from the military, he picked up painting again and participated in exhibits at a number of galleries. He said he prefers to paint realistic portraits, still life pieces and landscapes.

“Most of my stuff is usually done on the spot, like plein air paintings, or from photographs,” Loewenkamp said. “My ‘Virgin River’ piece was from a photograph, but it was also from my experiences of being there and seeing it myself.

“When you paint and struggle, it shows. But if it flows well, all will go well.”

About 200 people entered art in six categories: drawing, painting, mixed media, photography, watercolor and sculpture, according to judge Sharon Gainsburg.

Each category was judged and awarded separately, with first place receiving $250, second place $150, third place $100 and honorable mention a plaque.

“It was a tough call,” Gainsburg said. “Some of the artists have been doing it for years, and others started after their retirement so they’re newer at it.”

All artists were required to be 50 or older and residents of Clark, Esmeralda, Lincoln, Mineral or Nye counties.

Gainsburg said she judged each piece based on content, skill, style and presentation. The pieces were also critiqued by studio owner Marty Walsh and graphic designer Brian Swanson.

“I’ve been around art for many years, so I know the difference between art that is copied from something else and something that is part of (the artist’s) soul,” Gainsburg said. “That’s what art is. It’s expressing part of who you are, and that’s an important aspect in judging.”

The award-winning pieces are set to be displayed through July 12 at the Charleston Heights Arts Center, 800 S. Brush St., and from July 17 to Sept. 11 at the Las Vegas City Hall Chamber Gallery, 495 S. Main St.

Artists who entered the contest but did not receive awards had the option to display their submissions in the “Salon des Refuses” exhibit at the arts center from May 23 to June 12.

“(The contest) helps promote people to continually educate and apply themselves artistically,” Gainsburg said. “It encourages the ones who are creating to create even better and those who have always wanted to do something creative to start.”

Additional winners included Stewart Freshwater, Rhoda Pidgeon, John Lubomski and Nancy Stillwell for drawing; Susanne Forestieri, Jerry Chorpash, Breese Glennon and Peggy Totino for painting; Maria Arango Diener, Tom May, Terry Harvey and Olga Gault for mixed media; Lydia Cutter, Nancy Good, Diana Petersen and Tammy Espino for photography; Jan Schaeffer, David Mazur, Shirley Winslow and Rosemary S. for watercolor; and H.D. Clark, Yaffa Cary, Janice Musante and Linda LeBourveau for sculpture.

For more information, call the Charleston Heights Arts Center at 702-229-6383.

Contact Southwest View reporter Caitlyn Belcher at cbelcher@viewnews.com or 702-383-0403.