× 1 of 28 Increase Picture courtesy of Heather Skaggs Essie Ebrahimi received Finest in Present on the 2023 Bluff Park Artwork Present in Hoover, Alabama on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. × 2 of 28 Increase Picture by Jon Anderson Rebecca Whitlow, left, and Tonia Trotter-Value try the art work of Claire Cormany on the Bluff Park Artwork Present in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. × 3 of 28 Increase Picture by Jon Anderson From left, Leanne Rau, Lindsey Rau and Beth Rhodes try work by Lorri Kelly on the Bluff Park Artwork Present in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. × 4 of 28 Increase Picture by Jon Anderson Individuals browse the cubicles on the Bluff Park Artwork Present in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. × 5 of 28 Increase Picture by Jon Anderson Josh and Joey Beth Buggs and their daughters, Emmie and Lucy, of Hoover, Alabama, take a break with some treats from Sno Biz on the Bluff Park Artwork Present in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. × 6 of 28 Increase Picture by Jon Anderson Lissette Burski of Homewood, Alabama, left, seems to be at work by Gina Krawez of Fort Payne, Alabama, on the Bluff Park Artwork Present in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. × 7 of 28 Increase Picture by Jon Anderson Karen and Tim Hart of the Pineywood group in Hoover, Alabama, left, try pottery made by Robin Rodgers of Smyrna, Georgia, on the Bluff Park Artwork Present in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. × 8 of 28 Increase Picture by Jon Anderson Individuals browse the cubicles on the Bluff Park Artwork Present in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. × 9 of 28 Increase Picture by Jon Anderson Artist Lisa Simpson of Warrior, Alabama, proper, talks with a buyer on the Bluff Park Artwork Present in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. × 10 of 28 Increase Picture by Jon Anderson Joel Barnett of Hoover, Alabama, left, purchases some peanuts from the Alabama Peanut Co. on the Bluff Park Artwork Present in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. × 11 of 28 Increase Picture by Jon Anderson Tammy White, left and her mom, Dinorah Erb of Homewood, Alabama, try pottery by Robert Martindale on the Bluff Park Artwork Present in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. × 12 of 28 Increase Picture by Jon Anderson Tito and Stephanie Reyes of Homewood, Alabama, try the woodwork of John Sowell of Birmingham, Alabama, on the Bluff Park Artwork Present in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. × 13 of 28 Increase Picture by Jon Anderson Betsy Mishoe, pushes her son, Liam, on a swing on the Bluff Park Artwork Present in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. × 14 of 28 Increase Picture by Jon Anderson Sharon Nelson checks out pottery by Robin Rodgers of Smyrna, Georgia, on the Bluff Park Artwork Present in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. × 15 of 28 Increase Picture by Jon Anderson Patti Grace of Vestavia Hills, Alabama, checks out jewellery by Kerry Leasure of Hoover, Alabama, on the Bluff Park Artwork Present in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. × 16 of 28 Increase Picture by Jon Anderson Cheryl Barker of St. Petersburg, Florida, checks out glass art work by Toby Keith on the Bluff Park Artwork Present in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. × 17 of 28 Increase Picture by Jon Anderson Individuals line up for meals on the G.R.’s Smokehouse meals truck on the Bluff Park Artwork Present in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. × 18 of 28 Increase Picture by Jon Anderson Amy and MacKenzie Montz of Lady Scout Troop 746 in Blufff Park assist Jude Golson within the Children’ Artwork Hut on the Bluff Park Artwork Present in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. × 19 of 28 Increase Picture by Jon Anderson Suha Abukhalaf, left helps Kanen and Naya Alnajjar within the Children’ Artwork Hut on the Bluff Park Artwork Present in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. × 20 of 28 Increase Picture by Jon Anderson Individuals line up for one of many shuttle buses on the Bluff Park Artwork Present in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. × 21 of 28 Increase Picture by Jon Anderson Artist Royal Miree of Birmingham, Alabama, exhibits some clients a pendulum machine he made on the Bluff Park Artwork Present in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. × 22 of 28 Increase Picture by Jon Anderson Individuals line up for meals on the G.R.’s Smokehouse meals truck on the Bluff Park Artwork Present in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. × 23 of 28 Increase Picture by Jon Anderson Individuals browse the cubicles on the Bluff Park Artwork Present in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. × 24 of 28 Increase Picture by Jon Anderson Hundreds of individuals attended the Bluff Park Artwork Present in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. × 25 of 28 Increase Picture by Jon Anderson Individuals browse the cubicles on the Bluff Park Artwork Present in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. × 26 of 28 Increase Picture by Jon Anderson Individuals sit on the Bluff Park Artwork Present in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. × 27 of 28 Increase Picture by Jon Anderson Individuals browse the cubicles on the Bluff Park Artwork Present in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. × 28 of 28 Increase Picture by Jon Anderson Individuals browse the cubicles on the Bluff ParkArt Present in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. 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A woodturner from Montevallo captured the Finest in Present award on the 2023 Bluff Park Artwork Present on Saturday — his second time to win the highest award on the present.
Essie Ebrahimi, who immigrated to the US from Iran within the early Nineteen Seventies, additionally received the Finest in Present award on the Bluff Park Artwork Present in 2017, and he received the Individuals’s Selection award on the present in 2018. He has been a woodturner since 1997.
About 120 artists from eight states had been part of this yr’s present, which this yr returned to its common dwelling within the Bluff Park Neighborhood Park. Final yr, the present moved to Hoover Metropolitan Stadium resulting from building of a brand new pavilion within the park.
“We’re so glad to see it again this yr,” Bluff Park resident Fred Ulbricht stated.
He and his spouse normally attend yearly however didn’t go final yr. “Yearly we come, we like it,” Ulbricht stated. “It will get higher and higher yearly.”
There’s one thing particular concerning the present bodily being within the Bluff Park group, he stated.
“The atmosphere right here is simply so good — the sensation of households, group. You’ll be able to see individuals that you simply haven’t seen in a yr and socialize. It’s like an enormous household reunion — a group household reunion.”
This yr, Ulbricht and his spouse left with a portray of a heron by artist Joe Sheffield from Daphne.
As ordinary, there was all kinds of art work on the Bluff Park Artwork Present, together with ceramics, drawings, fiber, leather-based, glass, jewellery, metallic, work, pictures, printmaking, sculptures, woodworking and blended media.
Individuals who got here had been capable of roam across the park to peruse the products, and plenty of tried meals and drinks from meals vehicles that included Eugene’s Scorching Rooster, Gumbo to Geaux, GR’s Smokehouse, Southern Espresso & Waffles, SnoBiz and Travelin’ Tom’s Espresso. The day was rain-free with sunshine, and temperatures had been within the 60s all through the present, which lasted from 9 a.m. to five p.m.
This yr’s choose was Debra Riffe, a printmaker initially from Tupelo, Mississippi, who grew up in Washington, D.C., the place she earned her bachelor’s diploma in fantastic arts from the Howard College Faculty of Positive Arts. She has been knowledgeable graphic designer and illustrator for greater than 30 years, and her block prints have been included in lots of collections, together with the Birmingham Museum of Artwork, the Freedom Rides Museum on the Historic Greyhound Bus Station in Montgomery, Dillard College in New Orleans, Athens State College in Athens, Alabama, Indian Springs Faculty and Sixteenth Road Baptist Church.
Riffe received Finest in Present on the Bluff Park Artwork Present in 2012 and 2019.
Here’s a full record of awards given at this yr’s present, with the winners and their artwork specialty:
$2,500 Finest in Present (Bluff Park Artwork Affiliation Everlasting Assortment Award: Essie Ebrahimi of Montevallo, woodturning
$1,000 August A. and Cary Moore Memorial Award: David Byland of Hoover, leather-based
$1,000 Hugh Dye Memorial Award for greatest new artist (sponsored by Jackie Dye): September Reed of Birmingham, blended media
$1,000 Award for excellence in woodworking (sponsored by Jeff Honea Legal professional at Legislation): Matthew Allen of Hoover, woodworking
$750 Award honoring present choose Debra Riffe (sponsored by Dottie West in reminiscence of Al Dickinson): Scott McQueen of Northport, blended media
$500 Bluff Park Artwork Affiliation Board of Administrators Award (sponsored by Camp Bow Wow): Robin Rodgers of Smyrna, Georgia, ceramics
$500 Henley Hager Award (sponsored by Paulette and Invoice Pearson): Larry Allen of Leeds, ceramics
$500 Hoover Arts Alliance Award honoring Sara Perry and Winnie Cooper: Steven Reid of Headland, woodworking
$500 Individuals’s Selection Award (sponsored by The Collins Group): Brittany Carol Moore of Birmingham, pictures
× Increase Picture courtesy of Heather Skaggs Brittany Carol Moore of Birmingham, Alabama, received the $500 Individuals’s Selection Award on the 2023 Bluff Park Artwork Present in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023.
Editor’s observe: This story was up to date with the winner of the Individuals’s Selection Award at 7:24 p.m. on Oct. 8.
