Staff Writer
Friends and family gathered on May 1 at the 4000 building art gallery for the smallest art festival in LPC history. There were a total of 42 entries in the festival this year. The second smallest outcome had 85 pieces, a show twice as big as this one.
The reception took place in front of the gallery where some of the best artwork was hung. The crowd gathered around in anticipation to hear who had won a part of the $3,800 raised from the Pleasanton Art League and local merchants.
Head of the art department Bill Paskewitz said, “Watching people’s faces when their names are announced. The shock of it, that’s my favorite part.”
The show was judged by Mark Roberts, a part time instructor at Las Positas, who knows the program well. Bill Paskewitz and Monica Satterthwaite, LPC faculty, decided the scholarship winner.
“Statement has a lot to do with it too,” Paskewitz said. “What they’re trying to say and what they’re trying to do with it.”
Of the 42 entries, 10 artists received awards ranging from $100 to $500 cash prizes. Some winner’s pieces are hung in the gallery while others are on display along the walls of the library.
Along with the cash prizes, seven students who are art majors applied to win a $1,000 scholarship from the Pleasanton Art League. The winner of the scholarship was art major Alisha Ellard, with her 3-piece project titled “Pal,” done with ink on paper, along with an essay written for the Pleasanton Art League.
“I was really, really surprised,” Ellard said. “This was the first major thing I ever won.”
Eleven talented artists walked away from the festival, proud winners rewarded for their skill and passion. A round of applause went up for all artists who were involved in the show, ending the event.
The show will remain hanging in the gallery and library until the May 16.