MARCH 3, 2023. ST. JOSEPH, MICH — Planning for the 61st Krasl Art Fair on the Bluff, presented by 1st Source Bank Wealth Advisory Services, has been underway since October when artists were able to apply for the nationally-renowned event. On February 15, five jurors virtually reviewed and juried 422 applicants to determine the final 172 artists invited to Krasl Art Center’s largest fundraiser. Invitations have been sent, and the acceptance messages began pouring in as plans for the 61st Krasl Art Fair on the Bluff (KAF) continue for July 8 & 9, 2023.
Meet the Jurors
Every year, a unique panel is assembled to score artists invited to the Krasl Art Fair. Jurors are invited based on their careers, relationship to the arts, and expertise in their respective fields. Jurors review and score each artist’s application, allowing for unbiased acceptance from year to year. Artist personal information including name, race, gender, and address is also not shared with the jury to eliminate any biases in selection. From the images presented, jurors rank the artists on a 1–7 scale to determine a final score.
Krasl Art Center is pleased to introduce the five jurors whose efforts will result in the finalists for the 2023 Krasl Art Fair on the Bluff presented by 1st Source Bank. You will see jurors during the fair* to select the 2023 Best-of-Category winners, so please thank them for their service in helping create a spectacular show!
Nicole Brown
Nicole Brown is a trained artist, graphic designer, and sommelier. She has studied watercolor painting in Tuscany, graphic design at Western Michigan University, and Isobel Advertising in London, and is currently working on her level 3 sommelier training through Napa Valley Wine Academy. She is the Art Director at Moersch Hospitality Group where she develops and oversees the visual identity of the company’s portfolio of beer, wine, spirits, and properties. Nicole was a member of the committee for the 2022 Board Choice Award at the Krasl Art Fair and currently sits on KAC’s Board of Directors and marketing committee.
Austin Collins
Austin Collins earned his bachelor’s degree from Notre Dame, a Master of Divinity degree from the Graduate Theological Union, and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Claremont Graduate University.
As a sculptor, Austin Collins’ area of practice includes public art, large outdoor sculpture, installation art, and liturgical art, often with a focus on political and social issues. His more than 140 exhibitions include works at Notre Dame and other universities nationwide as well as the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His sculptures have also been placed in 50 public and private collections, and he has delivered more than three dozen public lectures across the country. Most recently, Collins was commissioned for the Smart Streets Project in South Bend, IN.
Jeff Garrett
Jeff Garrett is a grant Program Manager and ADA 504 Accessibility Coordinator for the State of Michigan. Previously, Jeff served as the Director of the Art School at the Flint Institute of Arts. He has teaching experience in Michigan Public Schools, has been adjunct faculty at Vincennes University, Saginaw Valley State University, and Mott College, and was Head of the Art & Design Department at Crowder College. He received a Master of Fine Arts degree in Ceramics with Distinction from Indiana State University. He has juried several exhibitions in Joplin, MO, and has also led the gallery and museum at Crowder College in Neosho, MO.
Jessica Stoddart Ladd
Jessica is a second-generation artist who grew up in a rustic Middle Tennessee farmhouse. She attended Austin Peay University with an art scholarship focusing on sculpture and painting and continued her studies at King’s College in London, England, and Penland School of Craft in North Carolina. Her paintings are rich in color and focus on evoking minimalist and ironic representations of nostalgia- including architectural, anonymous figure subjects, and commonplace objects that incite the viewer to imagine their own narrative.
Stoddard Ladd currently resides in Cookeville, TN with her husband Jon and daughter Elin and makes her living showing her paintings at fine art fairs across the country. In 2022, she won the Best of Painting category award at the Krasl Art Fair. She is also decorated with additional awards from Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival, Gasparilla Art Festival, RiverArts Fest, Great Gulf Coast Arts Festival, Long’s Park Arts Festival, 4 Bridges Art Festival, Bayou City Art Festival, and Images Art Festival.
* Stoddart Ladd will be exhibiting during the 2023 event, and will not be jurying artists in-person for best-of-category winners.
Harold Woodridge
Harold Woodridge is the President and Creative Director of Cone Four Brand Alchemists. When not creating advertising, he spends his time in the studio. He studied ceramics at Washington University in St. Louis where he earned his BFA, and the Lill Street Art Center. Most of his work is wheel-thrown and altered. Lately, he has focused on creating saggar fired work.
