Images 2026 Awards
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts announced the recipients of $1,800 in awards for Images 2026, the Festival’s annual juried exhibition of fine art. Award winners were selected by this year’s juror, Amanda H. Hellman, Director of the Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State. She also curated the exhibition, selecting 46 works from 361 submissions by artists from across Pennsylvania.
This year’s juried exhibition showcases 46 exceptional works by artists from across Pennsylvania, selected from 361 submissions by guest juror Amanda H. Hellman, Director of the Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State.
Congratulations to this year’s award winners!
Best in Show
A Place of Black Stars by David Stoltzfus (Lancaster, PA)
Pen and ink with oil paint on wood panel
Sponsored by the Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County
Best Photograph
Fractured by Elisha Eseonu (Mechanicsburg, PA)
Sponsored by the State College Photo Club
Best Pastel
Pond – End of Season by Anne Kenyon (State College, PA)
Sponsored by the Central Pennsylvania Pastel Society
Best Painting
Inquisitive – Red Fox by Ronald Beach (Montoursville, PA)
Sponsored by Benson and Christine Lichtig
Awards of Merit
- Botanical Alchemy 202612124 by Patricia Kucker (Philadelphia, PA)
- Long Lost, and Found (#1) by Cecil Fish (Tyrone, PA)
- Splinter Hill Bog by Kim Breit (Pittsburgh, PA)
- Rainy Woodland by Andre Chaszar (University Park, PA)
The Awards of Merit were sponsored by the Art Alliance of Central Pennsylvania, the Bellefonte Art Museum for Centre County, and Joyce Robinson & Norman Spivey. Special thanks also to the Schlow Library Foundation for its sponsorship support and for hosting the awards reception.
The awards were presented during a reception hosted by the Schlow Library Foundation on July 9 as part of the 60th Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts.
But the winners are only part of the story. Images 2026 features an outstanding collection of paintings, photographs, drawings, pastels, mixed media, and more—offering a fascinating glimpse into the creativity of artists from across the Commonwealth.
The exhibition is free to visit at Schlow Centre Region Library through July 31, and every piece is available for purchase. If you fall in love with a work of art, contact Jennifer Shuey at (814) 237-3682 and she will connect you directly with the artist.
When visiting the exhibition, be sure to cast your vote for the Viewers’ Choice Award by scanning the QR code in the gallery. Voting is open through July 31, and the winner—sponsored by The Gallery Shop—will be announced after the exhibition closes.
