APPLICANTS SOUGHT FOR ART GUILD AWARD

Applicants are being sought for the $1,000 West Kentucky Palette Award in memory of Cynthia C. Peterson, said a representative for the Murray Art Guild.

The award, to be presented May 1 for the first time, will go to a person at least 18, with an interest in art and who lives no further than 80 air miles from Murray. Jackson residents are within the boundaries.

Deadline for application is March 15.

The recipient is expected to use the award to study art and through exposure to art and art techniques improve his abilities and generate several works of art throughout the award year.

Cynthia Peterson was a noted Murray watercolorist and charter member of the Murray Art Guild, as well as a member of the Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen. After her 1999 death, her family and friends contributed to a fund to underwrite the award, which is intended to encourage talented people to discover or pursue careers in art or to work toward personal, artistic goals.

Applicants may not be enrolled in a higher education art program or have had an art education above the high school level, nor may the award be spent on tuition or fees at a college, university, or correspondence school.

Non-credit workshops and travel to museums and galleries to learn more about the work of great artists, past and present, are strongly encouraged.

During the yearlong period covered by the award, the winner is expected to generate at least three works of art that will be lent to the Murray Art Guild for display for a period of three months at the conclusion of the award year.

Three finalists will be chosen to appear before the members of the Murray Art Guild and the West Kentucky Palette committee to talk about their plans for the award and to answer questions. Applicants not chosen as a winner are welcome to apply again in the future.

"Cynthia Peterson was an unusual person," said Nanci Gregg, the artist's daughter. "As a young adult she very much wanted to pursue an education in art, but life interfered with that wish. In later life she took classes, attended workshops, and has left a legacy of some really beautiful watercolor work. We hope, through this awards program, to encourage others who have an interest in art to pursue their dreams."

At the end of the award year, winners will explain to the Murray Art Guild's West Kentucky Palette committee how they spent their year and lend the Guild two or three works created in that period for temporary public display in the Murray Art Guild Gallery.

Recipients of the award will also be asked to give a brief statement of their expenditures and present their work to the West Kentucky Palette committee.

The Murray Art Guild is a state-chartered, non-profit association organized in 1966 to bring together for mutual benefit members of the community who are interested in the fine arts. It is the aim of the guild to enrich the cultural life of the area and to improve the artistry of its members.

Donations are being accepted by the guild for support of the West Kentucky Palette Scholarship award.

Application forms may be requested by writing, visiting or calling the Murray Art Guild, 103 N. 6 St., Murray, KY 42071 (270) 753-4059, by visiting the Web site www.aeroawards.com/westkypalette.html, or by calling a member of the Peterson family at (270) 7533505.