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News Release

21 Emerging Artists Showcased in Raw Talent Exhibition

   Michael Poorman, Zac Cone and Kelly Smithers took home top honors in the arts council’s first Raw Talent exhibition for emerging artists.  The exhibition of 40 works by 21 artists was on view in the Arts Council Galleries at the Historic Courthouse July 17-August 11.
Awards were announced at a reception in the galleries July 28.  The reception, attended by approximately 350 people, was part of Art Walk, Pathways to Concord’s Finest in Visual Arts, Functional Crafts.
Poorman, a Robinson High School graduate who attends Appalachian State University, won the first place prize of $300 for “MP8,” a guitar praised by juror Christa Faut as “functional as well as a piece of art . . .  [I] admire the use of wood inlays.” Zac Cone, a recent Robinson graduate, received the $200 second place award for a clay vase that Faut said “”has tremendous interest . . . resembles an old piece.” Third place went to Kelly Smithers, a Concord High graduate and UNC Wilmington student, for “Organic Teapot,” a piece that Faut said demonstrated she “has mastered ceramics.”
Six artists received $50 merit awards:  Jason Adams (Central Cabarrus High and Central Piedmont Community College) for “Backyard Jungle,” oil painting; Cara Aston (A. L. Brown High) for “Rose Reflections,”  prismacolors drawing; Aaron Cote (Concord High and UNC Charlotte) for “Ryan,” pencil drawing; Kelly Smithers for “Grandpa’s Farm,” colored pencil drawing; Sara Ann Speed (First Assembly and Bridgewater College) for “This Side Up”, graphite drawing; and Joseph Wallace (Mount Pleasant High ), “1 Lost 1 Gain,” pencil drawing.
Jessica D. Bryson of Robinson High won the “People’s Choice” award chosen by visitors in the gallery.  She received a $50 gift certificate to Binders art supply to buy “raw materials.”
Raw Talent included works by recent high school graduates from Cabarrus County high schools who completed an advanced level art class in high school and of college students enrolled in undergraduate art programs.  All the county’s public schools as well as First Assembly Christian School were represented in the exhibition.  Both the works included and prize recipients were chosen by Christa Faut, owner of the Christa Faut Gallery in Cornelius.
The works in the Raw Talent exhibition included oils, acrylics, watercolors, drawings, mixed media, pottery and wood.  Other artists featured and their schools are Katherine Clark, Northwest Cabarrus; Katie Dahl, Mount Pleasant; Rachel Entwistle, Robinson; Julie Furr, First Assembly; Hannah Harwood, First Assembly; Ashton Howard, First Assembly; Edward Marciano, Robinson; Amanda Martin, Concord and Appalachian State University; Doreen Mullis, Concord and UNC Charlotte; Ginny Price, Robinson and Appalachian State
University; Jamie Price, Robinson and Appalachian State University; and Ben Verner, Robinson.