The 25th annual Georgia Artists Guild of Albany juried art competition will exhibit Sept 6–Nov 24, 2018 in the Albany Museum of Art’s East Gallery.
 
Bob Parker, chair of the GAGA’s Exhibition Committee, said the show will feature 25 works by 14 Guild members.
 
“This is the 25th show,” Parker said. “It’s open to members who are in good standing. We’ll give out awards, ribbons and a little cash.
 
“It’s an opportunity for members to see what everybody else is doing and to support each other. It helps us keep on keeping on.”
 
Paula Williams, executive director of the Albany Museum of Art, said the museum is pleased to again host the exhibition.
 
“The AMA has a long history with GAGA and we feel it is important to support the work of our local artists with exhibitions and with the opportunity to show and sell their work in our Hodges Sales Gallery,” Williams said. “The members of GAGA also support the museum through their membership and through volunteering at the museum.”
 
Submissions were juried by Fred Fussell, curator and exhibit designer for the Gertrude “Ma” Rainey House & Blues Museum in Columbus and former chief curator for the Columbus Museum. A founding member of the Board of Directors of the Pasaquan Preservation Society, Fussell is an independent field researcher, writer, and documentary photographer.
 
Parker said he was pleased with the submissions for the 2018 exhibition, which has pieces in three categories—photography, two-dimensional work and three-dimensional work.
 
“We had a good turnout,” he said. “The works are very good. We’re glad we got some sculpture in this show. That’s always nice to see.”
 
Parker noted that Guild members were sad at the loss of longtime local artist Florence Prisant, whose work was exhibited this summer in a retrospective in the AMA’s West Gallery. He noted that she and Dr. Arthur Berry, who passed away in 2015, were “founding members of the Artists Guild here in Albany.”
 
“We’re going to miss Mrs. Prisant and Dr. Berry,” he said.
 
Currently, GAGA has 20-25 members. “We’re always looking for more members,” Parker said.
 
He also noted that artists do not have to travel outside the Albany area to find subject matter for photographs, paintings, sculptures and other works of art.
 
“All of this inspiration for art is everywhere,” he said. “You just have to be fortunate enough to see it.”
 
Parker said the organization was appreciative of the opportunity to exhibit at the Albany Museum of Art. “The biggest thing is we want people to see our work,” he said. “They (Guild members) put a lot of time in it and they love what they do. They want others to see it.”