The decision of the juror on all entries is final. Exhibition selections will be made from digital images that must arrive with the entry form and fee at the Tim Murphy Art Gallery on or before January 10, 2024. Notice of acceptance will be made no later than January 19, 2024 via the website, along with an acceptance letter. Only juror selected works will be exhibited. Final judging will be on site. If for some unforeseen reason the juror must withdraw before judging is completed, the Tim Murphy Art Gallery reserves the right to select another juror of similar rank to complete the juror’s responsibilities. Artists will be duly notified in this event.
The 2024 Heartland Juror is Jean Cook.
Jean Cook is a former Hallmark artist, working 21 of 34 years as an Artist Engraver creating emboss and hotfoil dies. She took early retirement to pursue a career as a professional artist. She studied at KCAI and Hutchinson Community College as well as with well-known artists, Phil Starke, Al Currier, Charles Sovek and others.
She is a signature member of the Society of Animal Artists and is president of the Heartland Art Guild, Paola, KS. She is one of the founders of the Heartland International Miniature Show held annually in July at the Miami County Historical museum in Paola, KS.
Jean is the winner of many national and local BOS and other awards. She has won the plein air event 3 years in a row at the Kansas State Fair. She is represented by Galleries in Newton and Hutchinson, Strecker-Nelson West in Manhattan, Eva Reynolds in Overland Park, KS and Seaside Art Gallery in Nags Head, NC. She is a regular exhibitor in the miniature shows around the US. She was a finalist in the American Artist Magazine competition (21,000 entries) and a 3 time exhibitor at the Arts for the Parks Competition, Jackson Hole, WY. She also was a winner of the Versus Competition at Mark Arts, Wichita, where a 24 x 30 painting was done in 20 minutes before a group of Arts Patrons.
Medium of choice is oil but she has also worked in acrylic and pastel. Subjects of choice are the animal kingdom, especially cows and horses. Jean has a long history with cows and horses being a farm girl and showing appaloosa horses around the US. She has also traveled extensively around the world including the Galapagos Islands, two trips to Africa, two trips to Alaska and several trips to Yellowstone to photo wildlife.