“Senzione: A Self Portrait,” charcoal on paper, heightened with white, by Leslie Adams
Leslie Adams, a graduate of the UT Art Department and former College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Alumna, received a First Award and was invited to present her work in a solo exhibition at the Toledo Museum of Art in 2012 for her work “Senzione: A Self-Portrait” (charcoal on paper, heightened with white). She is the first artist presented with this opportunity. In addition, she received the award from the National League of American Pen Women’s northwest Ohio branch.
“Leslie Adams is a well-known portraitist who has painted distinguished individuals, including former Ohio Gov. Robert Taft Jr., university presidents, corporate CEOs and many others,” said Brian Kennedy, director of the Toledo Museum of Art. “The work she submitted to Toledo Area Artists was a self-portrait in profile in front of a light box illuminating MRI scans of her brain [taken after she had a minor health scare]. It shows great technical skill, yet is highly personal and made us want to see more of Leslie’s more personal work.”
Adams said she is especially honored because of her long association with the museum, having taken classes there as a child and as a University student. “The honor of having a solo exhibition at the Toledo Museum of Art is a dream come true, a dream that was planted in the mind of a little girl 40 years ago at the Toledo Museum of Art. As a child, the Toledo Museum of Art was my playground.”
She added that she owed much to her University experience as well. “At The University of Toledo, I had the great fortune to study with Professor Diana Attie, my mentor and friend, who first introduced me to the academic study of human anatomy and figurative art.”
“Sunset at the RV Lot,” archival inkjet print, by Seder Burns
• Seder Burns, UT lecturer of new media, was presented the Israel Abramofsky Award of the Temple-Congregation Shomer Emunim for his photograph, “Sunset at the RV Lot” (archival inkjet print);
• Student Jan Thomas received the Potters Guild award for the ceramic work titled “Tattoo”; and
• Tim Gaewsky of Toledo received the UT Department of Art Award for his mixed-media piece, “The Things We Fear in Life Are the Things Can’t Control.”
In addition, UT student Susan Mitchell, alumna Karen Matthews and Art Instructor Mania Dajnak were chosen from more than 700 submissions to have their works displayed in the show.
