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Maui, Kauai and Oahu artists win awards at MACC Biennial

The Maui News

Artists from Maui, Kauai and Oahu were chosen from among 38 artists to win three prestigious awards at the inaugural MACC Biennial.

Kauai artist Sally French was named the winner of the Juror's Choice Award of $5,000 for her mixed media work, "Futterwacken," the Maui Arts & Cultural Center announced Friday. Oahu artist Susan Thomas received the Award of Excellence in Two-Dimensional Media for $2,500 for her piece "Flower," while Maui artist Claudia Johnson received the Award of Excellence in Three-Dimensional Media for $2,500 for her sculptural work, "Solace."

All three winners were determined by the juror of the exhibition, Andreas Marks, who selected 40 artworks by 38 artists statewide, according to a MACC news release.

French's mixed media piece combined atomized acrylic, wax pencil, India ink, rhinestones, faux fur, rag paper and sanded polymer resin. She explained that it "addresses the sensitive issue of the usage of nuanced gender pronouns with its differing points of view, as displayed by two panels on opposing walls that meet at a protruding large mouth, signaling that conversation will bring a better understanding of each other." French, who was born in Stockton, Calif., and currently lives and works in Kalaheo, has exhibited extensively in Hawaii for more than 50 years, earning multiple awards and serving as a juror for the Schaefer Portrait Challenge 2012.

Thomas created her mixed media work on paper, making a collage using pre-manufactured shooting targets that Marks said "is evocative of a mandala, a spiritual tool, and guides us to more awareness about current issues in the United States." He called it "a bold move" at a time "when there seems to be a fad for abstraction in contemporary art." Thomas received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in glass from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa in 1992 and began a career as a conservation technician in the museum field shortly afterwards, which she continues to this day while maintaining a studio practice. Her work has been included in group and juried exhibitions throughout Hawaii and has received several awards.

Johnson's work includes assembled bundles of strawberry guava and Java plum branches that were each painted in a tonal gradation.

"Art-making can be a healing process in challenging times, and Claudia Johnson's Solace refers to that regenerative potential," Marks said. "The piece was constructed of seemingly simple but powerful elements that were connected through repetitive steps until the circle was complete."

Johnson received her Master of Arts in studio art with an emphasis on fiber sculpture from San Francisco State University, and after relocating to Maui, worked with the Hui No'eau Visual Arts Center for over a decade as their program and exhibits director. She has exhibited her artwork in juried and invitational shows throughout Hawaii and the rest of the U.S. for the last 30 years, with numerous awards and corporate commissions.

The MACC Biennial launched July 5 and runs through Aug. 26 at the Schaefer International Gallery. It is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday with free admission.

For more information, visit mauiarts.org/maccbiennial2023.