AWARDS:

Amateur            

Green Ribbon - Grotta Azzurra by Alice Rolfes-Curl

Green Ribbon - Caver’s Quilt by Bambi Dunlap

Blue Ribbon - Bat Box by Pam Duncan

Caver’s Choice Award - Grotta Azzurra by Alice Rolfes-Curl           

Professional

Paint

Green Ribbon - Formation #5 by Jerry Wallace

Blue Ribbon - Helectite Cave Detail by Marian McConnell

Multimedia

Blue Ribbon - Fu by V Curl

Black & White

Green Ribbon - Lower Orange Grove by Michael Gagliardi

Blue Ribbon - Double Bubble by Kenny McGee

Digital

Green Ribbon - Passage to the Inner Sea by Jerry Wallace

Blue Ribbon - Stream Entrance by Jerry Wallace

3-Dimensional

Blue Ribbon - Meru by V Curl

BEST IN SHOW: Double Bubble by Kenny McGee

On Wednesday of Convention, Bill Greenwald conducted an 'Experiment in Speleoart' class with 14 students attending. At the end of the class, Bill lit a candle signifying the flame - the idea - that Carolina started at the Kentucky 2001 Convention of cave sketching. The concept that she had of providing cavers at convention with simple art tools in a kit as part of a fun class is a great idea and should eventually encourage the submission of more amateur art.

On Friday of Convention, a meeting was held for all interested in the Fine Arts Salon. Some great ideas were discussed for improving next year’s Salon. Interested artists should watch the NSS News and the Alabama Convention website for information about how to enter works for 2005.

The Third NSS FINE ARTS SALON 2003 - CALIFORNIA!

By Marian McConnell

Thanks to the tireless energy, unwavering dedication to underground art, and creative talents of Carolina Shrewsbury, the NSS Fine Arts Salon was established in 1998 at the Sewanee, Tennessee Convention. Under her mentorship, the NSS FAS continued to flourish in Idaho, Kentucky, and West Virginia. Despite a life-threatening illness, Carolina kept the flame alive; and although unable to attend, provided invaluable advice and assistance to Bill Greenwald (thanks!) who organized the Amateur Art Workshop at the NSS 2002 Convention in Maine. I know I could not have chaired this Salon without Carolina’s indefatigable leadership, and literally her “blood, sweat, and tears.”

This year, Carolina spent countless hours in preparation; managing the entry forms, phoning artists, scanning artwork, and working through email to make sure that the FAS became a reality. I'd like to also thank Glen Mills and Martha Hendrix who were instrumental in getting the pieces hung this year. Lynn Fielding and Iris Heusler made sure the FAS was in a nice facility with everything that we needed.  Wm Shrewsbury was also invaluable as a member of the team. Thanks to everyone helped!

The following 14 artists exhibited:

Judges this year were Eleanor Larson (who coordinated the judging), Marianne Russo,  and Kristen Ankiewitcz. The winners were:

Carolina Shrewsbury - Merit - Realistic Art - Trees

Charlotte Richards - Merit - Abstract Art - Window to Caving Splendor

Stephanie Meinke - Merit - Black & White - Ascent to the Light

Vittoria Curl - Merit - 3D  - Spelunca Argentae 1

Stephanie Meinke – BEST IN SHOW – Will I Ever Become…

Report From The Second NSS FINE ARTS SALON 2001

National Speleological Society Convention,

Rockcastle, Kentucky, USA.

Publicity, getting your work known and being visible is very, very important. All artists, but one, who sold were there. The buyers and investors of art love to get to know their artist personally. Art is a personal business. Often a buyer will see you in the art they buy because it comes from your soul. If you can ever make convention please try to be there. I know there are some of you who will always find this impossible. If that is the case then you must send me a good portfolio of your work and a nice personal essay all about yourself. Frantizek has done this and so has Lucja, who both live in eastern Europe. This has helped me represent them in the best possible way. I have photos of them working, photos of them with their friends and family and a huge collection of their work over the years from in cave sketches to finished works including work outside their caving.

It is a thought, providing this information is confidential to SpeleoArt. It is shown at exhibition but is not published anywhere without specific permission from the artist.

This year the winners were:

 3D CATEGORY

   1st Place - Peter Jones - Ceramic Vase

   2nd Place - Peter Jones - Bowl #2

   3rd Place - Irish Spring Room [Egg] - Rebecca Holden

ABSTRACT CATEGORY

   1st Place - Lucja Radwan - Untitled #1

   2nd Place - Lucja Radwan - Untitled #3

   3rd Place - Marc Barker - Tiger Tank

BLACK & WHITE CATEGORY

   1st Place - John Agnew - Old River

   2nd Place - Bonnie Curnock - Simply Sarah

   3rd Place - John Agnew - The Window

REALIST CATEGORY

   1st Place - John Agnew - Actun Xpukil

   2nd Place - Carolina Shrewsbury - Purple Gaze

   3rd Place - Frantisek Mihal - Transport

BEST IN SHOW

   Bonnie Curnock - Stephen Bishop

Judges were Jeanne Gurnee, Ralph Ewers, Jack Engle.

Emily Davis was Patron of the Year (gave $30).

Show was coordinated by Carolina & Wm Shrewsbury, Ken Storey, and Marian

McConnell. Bonnie Curnock designed the NSS FAS T-Shirts (won a Merit Award in

T-Shirt Salon). Ken Storey designed the NSS FAS logo and did the posters,

books, and name plates. Wm designed the computer templates and Excel

spreadsheets to manage our funds.

SOLD WORKS:

Actun Xpukil       John Agnew          $2,500 Realist

Sorta Sarah        Bonnie Cunnock      $175   B&W

Bowl#1             Peter Jones         $80    3D

Bowl#2                "                $80    3D

Vase                  "                $200   3D

Desert Bat Flight  Lois Lyles          $175   Realist

Lightbox #1        Marian McConnell    $135   3D

Lightbox #2           "                $135   3D

Transport          Frantizek Mihal     $100   Realist

Pools              Carolina Shrewsbury $250   Abstract

Orange Glow           "                $80    Realist

SpeleoArt at Elkins, West Virginia, USA

National Speleological Society Convention.

Speleoartists from around the world continued the momentum of artistic excellence at the 3^rd U.S. SpeleoArt Exhibit at the Convention in Elkins, WV.  The Opening was held in the Elkins High School Library on Monday, June 26, 2000, complete with wine and cheese.  Twenty artists from all over the world displayed works, which were, for the first time, judged for awards. Exhibiting were:

Judges were:  Emily Davis, Matthew LaRose (Fine Arts Instructor from Davis & Elkins College), and Peter Jones. Results were shared at Thursday night’s awards ceremony:       

     Best in Show – Myotis Cavernous by Michael Kehs

                Black & White

                                1^st Place – Skylines by Linda Heslop

                                2^nd Place – The Face by Linda Heslop

                                3^rd Place – Seer by Marc Barker

                3D

                                1^st Place – Inner Treasure Box by Lois Lyles

                                2^nd Place – Cave Pearl Box by Lois Lyles

                                3^rd Place – Hansen Miners Lamp by Michael Kehs

               Realist

                                1^st Place – New Discovery by Frantisek Mihal

                                2^nd Place – At the Kettle by Frantisek Mihal

                                3^rd Place – Texas Blind Salamander by Bonnie Curnock

                Abstract

                                1^st Place – Serenity by Lucja Radwan

                                2^nd Place – Column by Lucja Radwan

SpeleoArt t-shirts, designed by Ken Storey and featuring artwork by various artists, were available again this year, and won a Merit Award in the t-shirts Salon. 

Six-year old Ellen Thompson drawing.

The group also organized an underground art trip into Bowden’s cave on Tuesday.  Convention participants were invited to bring their art supplies and enjoy some subterranean sketching.

 Lois Lyles, US SpeleoArt Coordinator, Carolina Brook, International SpeleoArt Coordinator, and Marian McConnell, Logistics Coordinator coordinated this year’s Exhibit.  Next year the Exhibit will return as the NSS Fine Arts Salon. 

SpeleoArt at NSS 99

National Speleological Society Convention, Filer, Idaho, USA.

Carolina Shrewsbury writes...

 We have this year at the SpeleoArt exhibition at the NSS Convention in Filer, IDAHO, USA, a masterpiece being loaned to us, it is the 'Mona Lisa' of Speleological Art, naturally created by one of the most famous cavers in the US. It will displayed at our SpeleoArt Village and unveiled in a ceremony during our Opening by our distinguished 'guest of  the year'. All registrants to the convention are invited. The ceremony is at...

2pm on Monday 12th July 1999

Most of the works will be on sale and there will be a catalogue at Registration, in the Exhibition hall and on the Speleobooks Stand.   This year, the Exhibition will be hosted in the Filer Fairgrounds and SpeleoArt will be contained in its own area called the 'SpeleoArt Village' our local contact for that area this year is Julie Backe, juliebacke@earthlink.net

This will be the second SpeleoArt exhibition in the USA. After last years successful and highly entertaining event, a few of the artists have got together in order to create a permanent annual event of art related subjects in conjunction with the section of Arts & Letters within the NSS. Hopefully this will evolve and grow over the years. In order to do this we will need the cooperation of the mass of incredible talent that is hidden in the depths of the caving fraternity of the United States and other parts of the globe, to bring this out in the many different facets that I have either seen or heard about!

So, to start us off for the preparations for the Idaho 1999. Here is a preview of functions and the theme for this years Exhibition: There is a timetable of events to include an opening party for the artists exhibition. Events will include...

• Poetry readings
• Story Telling
• Demonstrations
• Computer Graphics  
• Live Music and films of art events in the caves of Europe
• Workshops, including trips to local areas of speleological interest
• The annual Collaborative of artists working together on site. This year, there will be a choice of collaborative medium.  
• There will be standing work of sculpture, installation, pottery and ceramics, also a wonderful work of applique and embroidery.

  TOP

NSS98: SpeleoArt makes its U.S. debut

National Speleological Society Convention, August 3-7, 1998, Sewanee, Tennessee, USA.

Notes by Jerry Wallace; edited by Carolina Shrewsbury.

At past NSS conventions, cavers who expressed their interests in speleology in an artistic fashion were limited to participation in the Graphic Arts Salon as the sole avenue for displaying their creative endeavors to the caving community. Since the purpose of that salon is more to recognize the efforts of a Grotto or other group rather than an individual artist, and necessitated publication as a pre-requisite for entry, there was really no venue available, comparable to the Photo Salon, which could showcase the purely artistic creations of cavers.

At the 1998 Convention that changed with the introduction of SpeleoArt, an exhibition of international artwork inspired by speleology and the world of caves and cavers. Organized by Carolina Shrewsbury, of Great Britain, and under the auspices of the newly formed Spelean Arts and Letters Section, SpeleoArt will feature the work of eighteen artists from across the U.S., Great Britain, Europe, and Canada, with pieces ranging from the abstract to photo-realistic, in a variety of mediums. The exhibition introduced to cavers and the general public a side of speleology that can only be experienced through the eyes of the artist. The show took place for a week in the Art Gallery of the University of the South, in Sewanee, Tennessee, USA.

With the exhibition as its centerpiece, SpeleoArt also conducted a week long series of workshops and field trips designed to further encourage an interest in this branch of the spelean arts. One workshop culminated in a collaborative effort by all of the participants and was displayed at the end of the Convention. There were excursions to area caves for on-site sketching and painting sessions, the results of which were also on display. All workshops and sessions were open to any registered convention attendee with an interest in speleological art, not just the artists participating in the exhibition.

UIS97: Cave Artists at UIS 97

Carolina Shrewsbury was the arts coordinator for SubLime, the International Speleological Congress, which was held at La Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland, August 10-17, 1997.

Artists were invited to submit work for exhibiting at the Congress. On this Web Site you can see some of their submissions and read some of the background to the exhibition.

Gallery of participating artists & samples of work

Speleo-Art - a personal view (Carolina Shrewsbury)

Background to the Exhibition

Over the years, I have been encouraging a worldwide recognition of Speleo-art. I helped to form a group in England, now known as the International Society of Speleological Art. ISSA organizes exhibitions and holds workshops regularly.

In 1995 I organized an exhibition of speleo-art at the Swiss National Congress. I was then invited to act on behalf of the International Committee, SubLime, to co-ordinate an International Exhibition of living Speleo-artists. This was done in conjunction with Christine Bernasconi, who coordinated an exhibition of the history of art in speleology. As well as an Exhibition of current work, artists from around the world were able to meet each other and to discuss their experiences and techniques.

SpeleoArt Exhibition at the Congress

This was an international exhibition of art influenced by the world of speleology. Artists from around the globe exhibited a wide and varied approach to the artistic view of caves.

During the week, artists and people interested in learning about speleo-art spent time studying past and present impressions of caves through the artistic eye. We visited the exhibits in museums and the school and discussed styles, techniques and approaches. Talks and demonstrations were held in the school in the morning sessions. In the afternoons there were options to join practical sessions on excursions to caves in the area.

One of the projects during the week was "Speleofusion". This was a combined effort from artists, led by Caroline Jacquin-Pentillon and Carolina Shrewsbury, to create a large canvas of our caving inspirations. It relied heavily on the imagination of each contributing artist to create a huge masterpiece by the end of the week. This was an entertaining event, both to watch and to participate in!