A painting by Colorscape Chenango Arts Festival Francis K. Wilcox Emerging Young Artist Scholarship winner, Tiannah Dean-Anderson of Oxford High School. (Submitted photo)

NORWICH – Colorscape Chenango Arts Festival has announced the 2023 Francis K. Wilcox Emerging Young Artist Scholarship winner, Tiannah Dean-Anderson of Oxford High School.

This past spring, high school artists from across the region had the opportunity to compete for a scholarship and display and sell their work alongside professional artists at this year’s festival.

“This program is intended to honor and give public recognition to students who have attained high achievement in various artistic media. Francis K. Wilcox is a retired music teacher and former Colorscape exhibitor who lives in Oxford, and it is with great honor that we recognize an Oxford High School student,” explained Celeste Friend, Colorscape Chenango Arts Festival Executive Director.

With her submitted artwork, Tiannah writes, “I love the process of creating art and watching the project come to life as well as the steps it takes to get to the final piece. I use art as a way to express what I’m feeling or as a way to distract myself from reality. Art has always been something I’ve enjoyed doing since I was young. No matter what media I was using, I just love creating.”

Joni Eaton, Oxford High School Art Educator, has been Tiannah’s art teacher for two years. “I could see right away when she was in 9th grade that she was not only ‘spirited’ but also had a penchant for visual art. Her undivided attention became focused on her artwork. She blossomed all that year, and last year, in 10th grade, she took all of the art classes with me that would fit into her schedule, and her artwork and attitude were amazingly mature and prolific.”

“This is the 10th year we’ve offered this scholarship program,” said Peggy Finnegan, Visual Arts Coordinator. “We are incredibly happy to see the return of this opportunity for the area’s young artists. Tiannah is the first Emerging Artist to take part in the festival since 2019 due to the pandemic.”

Tiannah will be awarded $350 at the Festival’s Awards Breakfast on the Sunday morning of Colorscape, where she will receive a gift certificate for Golden Artist Colors products and the opportunity to display and sell her work in a booth provided by Colorscape.

Recognized as one of the country's top 100 classic and contemporary craft shows by Sunshine Artist Magazine, Colorscape Chenango has celebrated premier artists in downtown Norwich since 1995. This free, two-day festival in September features over 100 creators displaying and selling their paintings, sculptures, fabric art, fine crafts, photography, and more. Colorscape also offers nationally-renowned musical performers, poetry and literary arts, food, and interactive art activities for all ages.

The 2023 Colorscape will be held rain or shine on September 9 and 10 in East and West Parks in Norwich. The Colorscape Chenango Arts Festival is made possible with public funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and administered by The Earlville Opera House.

-Information provided by Colorscape Chenango Arts Festival