Meet the 2019 Judges
Christine Towner, Cindy Bender & Brenda Jiral
Christine Towner is an abstract expressionist who has specialized in Encaustic Wax for over 16 years. She studied fine arts at Kendall and Hope college. She was recently featured in the Encaustic Art Institute’s Winter issue for accomplished encaustic artists. She has permanent collections in Holland and the Encaustic Art Institute (Santa Fe, NM) and has exhibited in over 12 different cities in MI along with Chicago, Santa Fe, California and Arizona. She is currently in two galleries, The Zeeland Artists Working Gallery in Zeeland and the JMartin Gallery in South Haven, MI. She has been in ArtPrize in Grand Rapids for 9 consecutive years.
Cindy M. Bender is a self-taught artist who paints with watercolor, oil and ink. She enjoys painting anything from rusty cars to sunsets. Her style is primarily representational with an eye for color and shadow. Cindy has been in many juried shows across MI and received the Members Honorarium Award from the Michigan Watercolor Society, People’s Choice Award from First Church in Grand Rapids, and the Jean Hoxie watercolor award in the MI Arts Show in Holland. This year will be her 7th time in the Top 20 Tulip Time poster contest. Cindy has been in many galleries across West Michigan and her art can currently be found at the Zeeland Artists Gallery, Studio 2 in Montague, and the Red Chair Gallery in her home. Her calling is to paint the beauty she sees around her everyday and to share it with others
Brenda Jiral is a mixed media and watercolor artist with a strong emphasis on experimental processes and materials. She has developed many different unique methods of using water-media combined with a variety of materials.
She has been teaching watercolor classes and workshops for five years at several Michigan locations as well as in her private studio.
Brenda studied fine art at Grand Valley State University and the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan. She has studied under several well-established artists through workshops including Fabio Cembranelli, Joyce Hicks, Linda Kemp and Linda Germain. Each of these educational experiences have enhanced her abilities as a mixed media and watercolor artist.
Her painting titled “Sunlit Tulips” was selected for the top 20 in the Tulip Time poster competition sponsored by the Holland Area Arts Council in 2013. She currently exhibits her diverse works at the Zeeland Artists Working Gallery in Zeeland, Michigan.
She has been teaching watercolor classes and workshops for five years at several Michigan locations as well as in her private studio.
Brenda studied fine art at Grand Valley State University and the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan. She has studied under several well-established artists through workshops including Fabio Cembranelli, Joyce Hicks, Linda Kemp and Linda Germain. Each of these educational experiences have enhanced her abilities as a mixed media and watercolor artist.
Her painting titled “Sunlit Tulips” was selected for the top 20 in the Tulip Time poster competition sponsored by the Holland Area Arts Council in 2013. She currently exhibits her diverse works at the Zeeland Artists Working Gallery in Zeeland, Michigan.