2026 Signature Members’ Juried Exhibition
April 3, to May 1, 2026
Boyer Gallery at the Hill School
The Center for the Arts
766 Beech Street, Pottstown, PA 19464
Joseph Sweeney
Judge of Awards for 2026 PPS Signature Members Exhibition
General Statement:
“All jurors will say that it’s difficult choosing one work of art over another because it can be so subjective. This is true, especially when there is a large amount of good work to choose from.
Pastel can be the most demanding and the most forgiving medium there is. You have to remember that pastel is one step away from cave painting, in use for 35,000 years. Written language is believed to be only 6000 years old. So image making has quite a history with creative people.
Not being selected for an award is part of showing art. It is important for artists new to this process to develop a very thick skin. Not receiving a prize should not be conceived as being rejected. It’s just that on the day of selection, the juror decided the painting selected communicated more directly with the audience.
I would have liked to have more prizes so that I could give awards to more deserving paintings.”
Best in Show
Barbara Berry, “Outta Gas”
“The artist shows impressive control here, capturing the image with economy and restraint. Laying down pastel in a single stroke — and trusting it — is no small feat, and reflects a genuine mastery of the medium.”
First place
Al Richards, “Along Miller’s Creek”
“Chosen for its command of light on the landscape — sensitively observed and well handled in pastel. The composition is strong, with a genuine sense of space and distance.”
Second place
Mary Rinderle Smith, “Finding the Light”
“Deceptively difficult to achieve, this kind of loose execution requires as much discipline as precision work. Here it pays off — the light filtering through the trees feels natural and unforced, the medium handled with confidence and restraint.”
Third place
Bill Sweeney, “Baling Out”
“Sometimes a simple subject is the hardest to pull off. Here, the dark background throws the thin, richly textured pastel lines into sharp relief, and the result is quietly beautiful.”
Honorable mention
Denise Vitollo, “Swirling Koi”
“A vivid swirl of koi, alive with movement and color. The composition captures the fluid energy of the fish in motion, with color used not just decoratively but as part of that sense of life and movement.”
Honorable mention
Denise Vitollo, “Swirling Koi”
“A vivid swirl of koi, alive with movement and color. The composition captures the fluid energy of the fish in motion, with color used not just decoratively but as part of that sense of life and movement.”
Honorable mention
Joanne Turner, “Funky Town”
“A striking choice of subject — musical themes rarely appear in pastel work, and the medium is handled with confidence here. The composition is ambitious in its complexity and holds together well.”
Honorable mention
Karl Fehrenbach, “Mooncrest”
“A strong night seascape. The relationship between sky light and its water reflection shows real understanding of the scene, and the moonlit clouds are convincingly rendered — no easy feat.”