Color my world reception and awards

The Carolina Artist Gallery held a reception and opening event for the latest show Color My World on January 17, 2026. The reception was well attended with standing room only for the entertainment of the evening provided by the youngest cast members of the Carteret Community Theatre Annie production. We were treated to a rousing rendition of "It's a Hard Knock Life" and the touching "Tomorrow".

The show awards were presented by the show co-director, Barbi Bailey-Smith. Our judge for this show was Eleanor McArver who is very active in the New Bern art scene. Her choices for the awards and her remarks about the pieces are listed below.

Honorable Mention to Jennifer Bobbitt for "A Day in Paradise 3". The artist used analogous colors violet and blue on a warm neutral background. Two types of texture used:

Painted texture on the brim and the real texture of the headband. There is harmony in the composition and the piece tells a story.

Honorable Mention to Karen Van Gamper for " Oriental Harbor Scene". The artist used  a tetradic color scheme blue- orange-violet & yellow and with a good four value composition.

It has a rhythm that directs your eye through the painting. Even with the verticals and horizontals it creates a peaceful atmosphere for this backlit scene.

Third Place to Dave Slyck for "Solar". The artist used only warm analogous colors,

 yellow-yellow orange-orange & red orange, which represents the light. The three dimensional form which housed the light had an overall design which represented nature. It had great texture and rhythm but the emphasis was the light.

Second Place to Leslie Runnels for "Cosmotica". The artist used an abundance of colors. Quite a bit of pattern and rhythm with a variation of values. The two dark linear vertical shapes on the right and left don’t lead your eye out of the picture plane. They enclose the colorful circles which holds your visual attention.

First Place to Karen Mault for "Oops". The artist chose a secondary color scheme.

( purple + violet  - orange  - blue ) A very chromatic piece yet the values are varied and dark against the lighter background. Loved the asymmetrical design and unity of the piece. Excellent presentation.

Congratulations to the award recipients of the Color My World Show! We also thank all the great artists who participated in this show. It may be cold outside but come down to the Carolina Artist Gallery to see these colorful works of art up close that will surely warm your heart.