Art collector Frederick Ross founded U.S.-based nonprofit organization Art Renewal Center (ARC) in 1999 to support traditional realist artists and realist art education around the world, and to acquire notable realist artworks.
In “The Philosophy of ARC,” Ross states that the visual language of traditional realism “can be understood by all people everywhere on earth regardless of what language it is they speak or write.”
In 2004, the ARC founded its annual “International ARC Salon Competition.” Early this year, the ARC announced the winners of the 16th salon competition, from more than 5,400 entries from 75 countries. Here, we feature some of the notable and award-winning artworks.
More than 75 of the works will be on display in the “16th International ARC Salon Exhibition,” at Sotheby’s New York from July 15 to 24. Some of the works can be purchased at the exhibition and also on the ARC website. To find out more, visit ArtRenewal.org.
In his painting "Mujer con Ramo (Woman With a Bouquet)," self-taught artist Marcos Rey depicts a young woman full of poise in the face of adversity. She's lost everything, he said in his online artist statement. Rey rendered everything around her dead and in contrast kept her stoic, beautiful, and dignified. "I have used different techniques that have allowed me to provide a great wealth of nuances and textures to the drawing to try to convey a feeling of realism and drama," he said. Third place in the Drawing category: “Mujer con Ramo (Woman With a Bouquet),” 2020, by Marcos Rey (Peru). Charcoal, graphite, ink, and wash on canvas; 39 1/4 inches by 26 1/4 inches. Courtesy of the Art Renewal Center
Artist Keiichiro Kono makes sure he captures the charm of each model he paints, he said in his online artist statement. First place in the Figurative category: “Nazuna No. 2,” 2021, by Keiichiro Kono (Japan). Oil on panel; 20 3/4 inches by 20 3/4 inches. Courtesy of the Art Renewal Center
Self-taught oil painter William R. Davis delights in re-creating 18th- to early 19th-century maritime views. Currently, he's focusing on painting historic lighthouses around the country, such as this painting of Portland, Maine's Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse at low tide, which he painted as it appeared shortly after its construction in 1905. Having always had an interest in history, Davis accurately shows the lighthouses as they once were, and sometimes he makes visual records of lighthouses that have long been destroyed. Best Marine Themed Work and honorable mention in the Landscape category: “Passing Showers, Rams Ledge Light, Portland, Maine,” 2021, by William R. Davis (United States). Oil on panel; 9 inches by 18 inches. Courtesy of the Art Renewal Center
In her online artist statement, Alexandra Klimas paints animals destined for our dinner plate, paying homage to what she calls these "forgotten" animals. She wants her paintings to encourage others to reconnect with nature and bring more empathy to their lives. She's painted the vast sky in "Bill the Bull and His Cow" to show the greater world of which these creatures are a part. Third place in the Landscape category: “Bill the Bull and His Cow,” 2021, by Alexandra Klimas (Netherlands). Oil on canvas; 35 1/4 inches by 47 inches. Courtesy of the Art Renewal Center
Every year, artist Joke Frima sketches and photographs the vast lotus pond less than 20 miles from her studio in Vissigny, Burgundy, in France. She loves how the lotus leaf stems form a mighty, mysterious forest. The pandemic gave Frima the chance to create a vast lotus pond composition from the sketches and photos she'd made. She worked on the painting full time from September 2020 to April 2021. "I don't know how I did it," she said in her online artist statement. Second place in the Landscape category: “Eagerly Growing Lotus,” 2021, by Joke Frima (France). Oil on linen; 43 1/4 inches by 90 1/2 inches. Courtesy of the Art Renewal Center
In Louis Szapary's painting "After the Duel," we see the aftermath of the event—a wounded man full of regret. French neoclassical painter Jacques-Louis David's painting "The Death of Marat" directly influenced Szapary's choice of pose for the man in the painting. Szapary, a graduate and former teacher of the Florence Academy of Art, is constantly inspired by the old masters and others who follow the realist tradition of painting. First place in the Fully From Life category: “After the Duel,” 2021, by Louis Szapary (Austria). Oil on canvas; 47 inches by 31 1/4 inches. Courtesy of the Art Renewal Center
Artist Narelle Zeller creates paintings that explore the human condition and our connection with the natural world, she said in her online artist statement. In "The Weaving," she created a floral centerpiece where orb weaver spiders spin their webs, against a backdrop of crocheted cloth. She made the painting to convey how the "natural and man-made elements are woven together." First place in the Still Life category: “The Weaving,” 2022, by Narelle Zeller (Australia). Oil on Aluminum Composite Material panel; 22 1/4 inches by 22 1/4 inches. Courtesy of the Art Renewal Center
Artist Randalf Dilla rendered an angel falling through the vaulted ceiling of a Gothic church. Dilla's angel represents a person who has gradually lost his or her faith in God, he said in his online artist statement. "Humanity is losing its grip on faith, like this angel who has fallen down from heaven, people lose their kindness and morality," he said. Second place in the Imaginative Realism category: “Fallen,” 2021, by Randalf Dilla (Philippines). Oil on canvas; 36 inches by 24 inches. Courtesy of the Art Renewal Center
Artist Jake Gaedtke has traveled the country sketching and painting field studies from the coasts to the desert to the mountains. He used these plein-air works to create studio paintings that capture the wonders of the natural world. In "Midnight Shadows," Gaedtke takes us into a snow-covered aspen grove on the Sourdough Trail near Bozeman, Montana, where he walks his dog. He's painted footprints in the snow, the only trace of the day's activity at the end of a busy day. First place in the Landscape category: “Midnight Shadows,” 2021, by Jake Gaedtke (United States). Oil on linen; 26 inches by 32 inches. Courtesy of the Art Renewal Center
Artist Chanel Cha's lonely childhood sparked her vivid imagination. Growing up in the South Korean countryside of Gwangju, she developed her love of nature. Cha became an artist after moving to Canada where, she said, it was the first time she could freely express herself. Cha paints in a traditional style inspired by the Italian masters, using soft colors and gentle brushstrokes to convey subjects of delicacy and beauty. In "Dreaming," she's painted a girl, perhaps from another realm, definitely in the moment where reality and fairytales merge, she said in her online artist statement. First place in the Portraiture category and an honorable mention in the Fully From Life category: “Dreaming,” 2022, by Chanel Cha (Canada). Oil on linen; 36 inches by 26 inches. Courtesy of the Art Renewal Center
Growing up in Venezuela, Juan Cantavella discovered his passion for painting when he was 15 years old. But his father (a refugee from dictator Francisco Franco's regime) felt his son should focus on a stable profession. Cantavella qualified as an architect but he never stopped or lost his love for painting. In 2002, he moved from a volatile Venezuela to the United States and now works as a muralist. “Pure Joy,” 2021, by Juan Cantavella (United States). Oil on canvas; 16 inches by 12 inches. Courtesy of the Art Renewal Center
