MARTINSVILLE, Va. (June 29, 2026) — Piedmont Arts and Lynwood Artists are proud to announce the winners of "Expressions 2026: America 250," a special exhibition honoring the 250th anniversary of the United States.
The exhibit was judged by Katie Hirsch, deputy director of exhibitions at the Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke. The winning works were selected from 146 entries by 84 artists from Virginia and North Carolina. Cash awards were given for first, second, and third place in seven categories, as well as the Lynwood Artists Award, Best in Show, and the America 250 Award, which recognized the best interpretation of the exhibit theme.
The winning works include:
Best in Show
Sponsored by Jackie Thornton
O Rusty Nuts, Greg Cooper
America 250 Award
Sponsored by Jackie Thornton
Covering History, Donald Towns
Lynwood Artists Award
Sponsored by Lynwood Artists
American History, Fred Motley
Student
Award of Distinction
Sponsored by Annette and Paul Huckfeldt
Rain, Rain Go Away, Sarah Campbell
Third Place
Sponsored by Alicia and Bill Lantz
The Last Watch, Aubrey Spence
Second Place
Sponsored by Annette and Paul Huckfeldt
Viva La Raza, Ivan G. Torres
First Place
Sponsored by Zachary Margrave
The House of Dissolution, Madison Cline
Special Student Award
Sponsored by the Piedmont Arts Guild in Memory of Nancy Bryant and Helen Hensley
Big Red, Evan Abram Williams
Drawing
Award of Distinction
Sponsored by The Jeweler’s Edge
Marching Script, Colby Cline
Third Place
Sponsored by Linda Prillaman
A Brief Landing, Karen Sigmon
Second Place
Sponsored by Aesthetic and Family Dental of Martinsville Inc.
Venus, Kaitlyn M. Gallop
First Place
Sponsored by Kathy and Hank Long
Come Out and Play, Genie Elgin
Photography
Award of Distinction
Sponsored Ben Gravely
The Original Submarine, Artemisia Blankenship
Third Place
Sponsored by Roslyn and Max Wingett
Sunbeams, Rick Dawson
Second Place
Sponsored by Gael and Smith Chaney
Blur Together, Rocky Wall
First Place
Sponsored by Toy and Joe Cobbe
Veterans Day, Kandice Drizake
3D
Award of Distinction
Sponsored by The Jeweler’s Edge
A Fragile Democracy, Edna Whittier
Third Place
Sponsored by Lee Anne and Frank Fuller in Honor of Pam Allen
No Means No, Sir, Melanie Kendrick Holley
Second Place
Sponsored by Melody Margrave
Capybara Tea Jar and Tree Cup, Kristin Weldin
First Place
Sponsored by Sandra T. Ford in Memory of James H. Ford
The Power of the Pen, Colby Cline
Mixed Media
Award of Distinction
Sponsored by Ben Gravely
Redacted, Mercedes Fleagle
Third Place
Sponsored by Imogene and Isadore Draper
Chopin Ballades, Scott Kitts
Second Place
Sponsored by Carolyn Beale
America, Where Are You Now?, Mindy Wegener
First Place
Sponsored by Rebecca and Mark Crabtree
Inevitable Ascension, Pippi Miller
Oil and Acrylic
Award of Distinction
Sponsored by Annette and Paul Huckfeldt
Still Going Strong, Lou Pappas
Third Place
Sponsored by Shar and Greg Peitz
Sunset Draper USA, Donna Koger
Second Place
Sponsored by Suzanne and Rusty Lacy
She’s My Favorite, Michelle Bloomer
First Place
Sponsored by Marty Gardner
¿Dónde Está Mamá?, Jack Adkins
Watercolor
Award of Distinction
Sponsored by Annette and Paul Huckfeldt
Singing at the Sink, Jane Carter Vaughan
Third Place
Sponsored by Anne and Gene Madonia in Memory of Betty Lou Pigg
Puzzle (Big Apple Mash), Rosalie Howell
Second Place
Sponsored by Margie and Paul Eason
Patriot, Paula Melton
First Place
Sponsored by Lucy and A.C. Wilson
Iris, Rosalynn Arnold
Purchase Awards
Sponsored by an Anonymous Donor
Fancy Tail Goldfish, Shawn VanSickle
Civil Rights Monument, Richmond, VA, John Ranson
Sponsored by Carolyn Baptist
Acquire a Choir, Ed Dolinger
Lake Superior, Kimberly Brugger
Fractured Liberty, Kelly Willard
Sponsored by Chris’s Custom Framing
Moonrise, Gina Louthian-Stanley
Sponsored by Jackie Thornton
Sam – Mosaic Fish, Susan Biscay-Hopkins
Still Going Strong, Lou Pappas
Sponsored by Karen Eggelston
Scarlet Elf Cups, Kimberly Brugger
Solar Drift, Julie Palmour
Patriot, Paula Melton
Sponsored by Nancy and Henry Moore
Three Coves, Kelly Gravely-Mattox
Sponsored by Susan Critz
Summer, 250 Years Later, Ashley Ullstein
Sponsored by Laura Bowles and Tom Laub in Honor of Shar Peitz
What, Naomi Hodge-Muse
The admission-free exhibit is on view at Piedmont Arts through Aug. 14. It is sponsored by VisitMartinsville, Brightspeed, Helen S. and Charles G. Patterson Jr. Charitable Foundation Trust, Lynwood Artists, and What's Your Sign.
A complete list of artists participating in the exhibition is available here.
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