The winners of the 50th annual Lititz Outdoor Art Show were announced in August 2016, capping a milestone year for one of the longest-running art events in Lancaster County.
The juried show, held in late July in Lititz Springs Park, drew painters, potters, sculptors and printmakers from across Pennsylvania and neighboring states. Among the works on display were paintings by Zu Sheng Yu, whose canvases drew steady crowds.
Best of Show
Samuel B. Whitehead of Doylestown won Best of Show for Baseball Omnibus #1.
Oils and acrylics
- 1st: Catherine Colsher, Sinking Spring
- 2nd: Sharon Jenne, Hershey
- 3rd: Arlene Fisher, Lancaster
Watercolor
- 1st: Steve Zazenski, New Hope
- 2nd: Beth Palser, Oxford
- 3rd: Margaret G. Thorn, Lititz
Mixed media
- 1st: Teri Oja, Enola
- 2nd: Clare Margaret Douglas, Harrisburg
- 3rd: Patricia Walkar, Haddonfield, N.J.
Ceramics
- 1st: Lynn Taylor, Middletown, for Shell
- 2nd: Tom Longacre, Phoenixville
- 3rd: Carrie Althouse, Leesburg, Va.
Other categories
- Pastel: Helena Van Emmerick-Finn, Doylestown
- Drawing/printmaking: Douglas Anderson, Lititz
- Sculpture: Joseph Quesada, Schuylkill Haven
- Judge’s Award: Ellen Gavin, Millville, N.J.
- Judge’s Award: Deborah Diana, Lancaster
Local talent among the winners
Two Lititz artists placed in 2016. Margaret G. Thorn took third in watercolor, and Douglas Anderson won the drawing and printmaking category. Lancaster artists Arlene Fisher and Deborah Diana also earned honors, while the rest of the winners’ list stretched from Doylestown and New Hope to Haddonfield and Millville in New Jersey and Leesburg in Virginia.
That reach says something about the show’s reputation. After five decades, the Lititz Outdoor Art Show is a regular stop on the summer circuit for many regional artists.
Fifty years in the park
Reaching a 50th show is a rare achievement for a volunteer-driven community art event. Over the decades the show has introduced generations of Lititz residents to working artists, and many visitors bring home their first original painting or piece of pottery from a booth beneath the park’s trees.
The setting is part of the draw. Lititz Springs Park, with its shaded paths and spring-fed stream, offers a relaxed backdrop that encourages visitors to linger, talk with artists and learn how their work was made.
A competitive field
Shows like Lititz are juried twice: once when artists apply, and again when judges walk the show to choose winners. Awards are given by medium, so a watercolorist competes against other watercolorists rather than against sculptors or potters. Best of Show is chosen from the entire field.
For artists, an award brings recognition, prize money and a line on the résumé that can open doors at other juried shows and galleries.
Supporting local artists
Visitors who missed the show can still support many of these artists, who sell work through their own studios, websites and galleries across the region. Lititz’s downtown galleries and shops also feature local and regional artists year-round.
Buying art at a show
For first-time buyers, outdoor shows are an approachable place to start. Artists are usually happy to talk about their materials and process, and prices range from small prints to major original works. Asking about framing, care and commissions can lead to a lasting connection with an artist.
Plan for next year
The show is held each summer, and artists interested in exhibiting should watch for the application period, which typically opens months in advance. Visitors can plan a full day, pairing the show with lunch downtown and a stroll through Lititz’s shops and galleries.
Congratulations to all of the winners and to every artist who exhibited at the milestone 50th show.
This article was originally published in August 2016.