The Gateway East Artists Guild will present their Avenue of Art exhibit July 20 through August 23 at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville. The public is invited to the opening reception from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 20 at the Shrine visitors center.
The exhibit features more than 100 works of art by 45 local artists, most of which will be available for purchase. The show will be judged by nationally-known St. Louis-based illustrator Bill Vann, who will select winners of the Awards of Excellence and present the Best of Show prize during the reception on July 20. A special award will be given to the work of art that best depicts the shrine or a religious theme.
The Gateway East Artists Guild(GEAG) is a non-profit organization with a membership of more than 100 area artists. The guild has been in operation for more than 35 years, providing scholarships as well as monetary awards for art students at Southwestern Illinois College.
According to Jerie Artz, president of GEAG, the Avenue of Art exhibit is the organization's "largest, most important event of the year."
