Altoona Artist Wins Best of Show Fine Arts Award

Christian Vandehaar of Altoona acquired Best of Show honors in the Fine Arts competition judged prior to the start of the 2008 Iowa State Fair.

Vandehaar’s pastel, “St. Matthew and the Angel,” won her $600.

In the Adult division, First Place Overall was awarded to Richard Hanson of Fort Dodge for his water color, “Resting Out of Sight.” Mary Muller of Des Moines earned Second Place Overall for her pastel entitled “Lexi.” Third Place Overall was presented to Matt Clark of Ankeny for his sculpture, “Compulsion #2. How Did I End Up Here?”

Natalie Morris of Pleasant Hill won the Iowa Water Color Society Prize for Young Artists for her watercolor, “Working Together.”

The DMACC Purchase Award went to Sharon Nelson Hyphen Vaux of Altoona for her ceramic piece, “Forest Fire.”

All works of art, judged by a panel of three judges, will be on display in the Patty and Jim Cownie Cultural Center throughout the Fair.

Fairgoers will be able to vote for their favorite for the Fine Arts Popularity Prize Award to be presented in the Cultural Center on Tuesday, August 12 at 6 p.m.

Additional results below:

ADULT DIVISION
Adult Merit Awards
1) Ben Harle, Urbandale
2) Rebecca Abarr, Redding
3) Jane Baty, Ames
4) Cameron Johnson, Coralville
5) Noelle Swanson, Slater
6) Jen Park, Urbandale
7) Steve Winkelman, Van Meter
Madison Finney, Des Moines
9) Tori Jones, Altoona

Adult Oil, Acrylic or Tempera Media
1) Jane Graham, Nevada

Adult Watercolor
1) Nora Nurre, Des Moines

Adult Pastel
1) Stewart Buck, Ankeny

Adult Drawing
1) Jane Elgin, Des Moines

Adult Prints
1) Kevin House, West Des Moines

Adult Pottery
1) Ruth McNamara, West Des Moines

Adult Sculpture
1) Elise Walker, Ankeny

Adult Fibers
1) Helen Degner, Marshalltown

Adult Mixed Media
1) Jeff Rider, Des Moines

Adult Art Glass
1) Janna Bowman, Cedar Falls

Adult Jewelry
1) Terri Kinsey, West Des Moines

YOUTH DIVISION
1) Sarah Obiyo, Des Moines
2) Morgan Cramer, Grimes
3) Freddie Koke, Bondurant

JUNIOR DIVISION
1) Nicole Axtell, Des Moines
2) Maddy Baker, West Des Moines
3) William Verdoorn, Des Moines