The Artists of the Mohawk Hudson Region Juried Exhibition opens July 8th at the University Art Museum and is one of the longest running consecutive regionals in the nation. This year�s competition drew 225 entries from within a 100 mile radius of the Capital Region. From those, seventeen artists were chosen to exhibit thirty-five of their works, which include painting, ceramics, mixed media installations, printmaking and photography. The Juror Awards will be announced at the opening reception on July 10th from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the University Art Museum.

This year�s Juror is Maura Heffner, the newly appointed Director of Exhibitions and Programs at the Wadsworth Athenaeum Museum of Art in Hartford. She formerly served as an assistant curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, where she was coordinator of the 2000 Biennial Exhibition and was project director for Mies in America. "It is evident that there is a very high level of artistic production in this region and a thriving community that continually seeks higher standards for its work," said Heffner.

Throughout its history the Regional has reflected the depth and vitality of current art practice in the upper Hudson Valley as well as the vision of its jurors. From renowned artists to esteemed museum curators - Edward Hopper, artist (1936), John Yau, poet (1987), Dan Cameron, curator (1997), and Xu Bing artist (2000) ―each year the subjective view of the Regional juror is as illuminating as the artistic talent it brings to light.

The selected 2003 Artists of the Mohawk Hudson Region are: JoAnn Axford (Glenmont, NY); Justin Baker (Albany, NY); Josephine Bloodgood (New Paltz, NY); Jane Bloodgood-Abrams (Kingston, NY); David Brickman (Albany, NY); Christopher Cassidy, UAlbany M.F.A. candidate, (Albany, NY); Jeanette Fintz (Surprise, NY); Louanne Genet Getty (New Hartford, NY); Allison Hunter (Albany, NY); Carolou Kristofik (Middleburgh, NY); David E. Levine, (Red Hook, NY); Harold Lohner, M.F.A.�84, (Albany, NY); Jenny McShan, UAlbany M.F.A. candidate, (Latham, NY); Chris Moran (Scotia, NY); Michael Oatman, M.F.A.�92, (Troy, NY); Kenneth Ragsdale, UAlbany M.F.A. candidate, (Albany, NY) and Marie Triller (Albany, NY).

Founded in 1936 by the Albany Institute of History & Art, the exhibition has been the shared responsibility of the University Art Museum and The Albany Institute of History & Art and the Schenectady Museum since 1970. Since then the exhibition has rotated from venue to venue each year and remains the benchmark exhibition for the finest contemporary artists working within a 100-mile radius of the Capital Region.

The famous architect Edward Durrell Stone designed the University Art Museum and, like the campus, it is an iconic example of late 20^th century modernism. The exhibition runs through November 1, 2003 and is free and open to the public.

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