Artist of the Year

This award is a once in a lifetime honor which is awarded to a member of JWS who has contributed their time and energy to keep the organization going and growing, as well as entering JWS juried shows and winning awards. This is not a monetary award. The candidates must be good artists who have donated their time to help the board by accepting a position on the board, chairing shows, chairing committees or other service to JWS.

The Artist of the Year Award consists of a special show of the artist's work, a plaque expressing the gratitude of JWS, and a unique lapel pin. In 2016, the Board of Directors reviewed the original guidelines and processes for AOTY which were in place from 1997 through 2003, updated and approved them for AOTY for 2016 and later years. Click here for guidelines and information form for potential AOTY candidates.

The Artist of the Year honor was awarded to 15 JWS members from 1997 to 2003 and 22 from 2008 to 2023. It was reinstated in 2008 to recognize outstanding service to JWS as well as outstanding art work. Additional information about honorees is available by clicking on the name below.

Congratulations to Barbara Holt
Artist of the Year - 2024

Barbara joined the Jacksonville Watercolor Society in 2012; she had taken many years’ of watercolor classes from Hercel Stallard, and entered her first show in 2013. She has entered every spring and fall Show that the Jacksonville Watercolor Society has presented since then, she has received 2 Honorable Mention awards. She has served as VP of Shows for JWS for 8 years and says she would do it again for 8 more (with a smile) and has introduced a student show for the Pine Forest Elementary School for the Arts and volunteers at Westminster Wood Retirement Community as an outreach program for JWS teaching watercolor to the residents.

Barbara’s husband was career Navy, and she moved around a lot, she had worked as a substitute teacher while living in Maine, a Girl Scout leader in California, a Regional Cookie Distribution Coordinator in Pennsylvania and now is retired and has devoted her time to art and volunteering. In additional to taking classes from Hercel Stallard, she has taken classes from Ted Nutall, Pat Weaver, Mel Stabin, Suzanna Winton, Nicholas Simmons, Lian Zhen, Charles Reid, David Lobenberg, Ted Head, May Whyte, Michael Holter, Larraine Watry, John Salminen, Linda Wokoun, Libit Jones, Robin Makowski, Pablo Rivera, Linda Kemp and Pam Wenger. Barbara is also a member of the Jacksonville Urban Sketchers group.

Artist of the Year 1997 - 2003, 2008 - 2023

This page is still a work in process --with miscellaneous images in place of Show cards available and links to information about each honoree.

The Artist of the Year honor was awarded to JWS members from 1997 to 2003 and from 2008 to 2022. It was reinstated in 2008 to recognize outstanding service to JWS as well as outstanding art work. Additional information about honorees is available by clicking on the image and/or name below.

2023

2022

2021

2019

2018

Ted Head
Jennie Szaltis

2017

Fran Grandy
Jeannie Brockhausen