This exhibition is sponsored by the Friends of the Torpedo Factory Art Center (a separate nonprofit organization) and is a competition that is only open to Torpedo Factory Artists Association members. The award includes a monetary prize and a solo exhibition in the gallery. This year’s winner, CMDupré, has been a professional artist for many years, and has had a studio at the Torpedo Factory Art Center for 8 1/2 years. She has also been associated with the Zenith Gallery in the District of Columbia. The juror for this competition was Shauna Lee Lange, founder and president of the Shauna Lee Lange Arts Advisory Firm, who praised Dupré for creating paintings that have "achieved visual ecstasy and the work is far beyond the range of her counterparts."
CMDupré’s works challenge the viewer in that they are part of a series of paintings connected by a common theme. Sprinkled throughout her paintings are indications of CMDupré’s well-rounded background in literature, philosophy and sociology, to name a few. She credits Anselm Kiefer and Fritz Scholder as artists who have particularly influenced her art. As for her reaction to being named Artist of the Year, “I was amazed to win the competition among the population of qualified artists who participated, and am particularly gratified that a painter was recognized”.
The Friends of the Torpedo Factory Art Center, Inc., a non-profit membership organization, promotes awareness and appreciation of the visual arts through community outreach programs, exhibits and events in support of America’s premier working visual arts center. The Friends have sponsored the Artist of the Year competition since 1992.
The Target Gallery, national
exhibition space of the Torpedo Factory Art Center, is
located on the waterfront in Old Town Alexandria, VA.
The gallery hours are
Monday through Friday 10-6pm, Thursdays 'til 10-8pm, and Saturday and Sunday 12-6pm.
