Tracy Miller Wins 5th Alexander Rutsch Award

Pelham, New York - Pelham Art Center is pleased to announce Tracy Miller as the winner of the 5th Alexander Rutsch Award in Painting. Ms. Miller's large still life paintings feature an abundance of guilty pleasures, “giant whirling picnics with whopping hot dogs, sticky pies, steamed lobsters, Budweiser beer cans, and dancing salt-and-pepper shakers – all in the midst of a frosting-smeared storm.”

Ms. Miller received a $5,000 cash prize and a solo exhibition at Pelham Art Center, from May 15 – June 27, 2009. The eight finalists for the award were: Ryan Cronin, New Paltz, NY; Cara Enteles, New York, NY; Bradley Fesmire, Providence, RI; Julian Jackson, Brooklyn, NY; So Yoon Lym, Wayne, NJ; Lauren Portada, Brooklyn, NY; and Joshua Willis, Brooklyn, NY. Ms. Miller, the winner of this year’s award, was a finalist in the 2007 competition.

Pelham Art Center is proud to sponsor the competition and award to honor the memory and artistic achievement of Alexander Rutsch (1916 - 1997), an artist who actively supported Pelham Art Center for more than 25 years. After his death, friends and supporters of Alexander Rutsch and his family established a generous and significant fund to support a bi-annual, open, juried competition in a range of mediums. Visit www.alexanderrutsch.com to learn more about Alexander Rutsch.

The 6th Alexander Rutsch Award will be awarded in 2011 and submission guidelines will be available in fall 2010.