Awards at the National Show Reception:

AWARDS ANNOUNCED:

BEST IN SHOW: A Perfect Day by Virgina Unseld

BEST OF SIGNATURE MEMBERS: China Cove by Carole Belliveau

BEST OF ARTIST MEMBERS and tied for Artists' Choice Award: The Fence by Ellen Buselli

ARTIST MEMBER AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: Endurance #4 by Rachel Pearson

ARTIST MEMBER HONORABLE MENTION - Along the Old Ranch Road by Diane Arenberg

FOUNDERS' AWARD: : 3 Gun Springs Arroyo by Roger Gateman

JEFFREY POTTER MEMORIAL AWARD: Cloudscape by Barbara Coleman

JOE ANNA ARNETT MEMORIAL AWARD: Diana by Wendy Ahlm

THE ARTIST STUDIO AWARD: Abiquiu Cliffs Abstraction by Karen Halbert

Legends of the West Gallery Award and tied for Artists' Choice Award: Pedernal in the Afternoon by Donna Barnhill.

Chairman's Award: The Road Home  by Dick Wimberly

To see all the the awards' page: 2025 17th Natl Awards.

You may also see some awards' ceremony photos plus a video here: 2025 17th Natl RECEPTION PHOTOS

Judge's Comments available for printing and viewing here.

Comment by Virginia Unseld, Best in Show:

"Thanks to the Plein Air Painters of New Mexico for a fabulous whirlwind week in Santa Fe with demos and paintalongs and a dinner to meet one another. I was so happy to have 2 paintings accepted into their National Show with nationally known painters galore. So imagine my surprise at the opening when they announced all the awards and at the end Best of Show was awarded to me! Holy cow. This kind of recognition means so much. I loved the judge's comments about the painting."