Tuesday, March 17, 2009

NYLO Hotels announces winners of local art contest

By Pegasus News wire

LAS COLINAS — NYLO Dallas / Las Colinas, the latest loft-lifestyle property from NYLO Hotels, announced today the winners of its local art contest for its third hotel scheduled to open this July. The contest, which was open to the North Texas public from early September to the end of October 2008, called for entries that reflect the local Texas culture. Winners from the contest will have their work displayed throughout guestrooms, corridors and public spaces of the largest NYLO property.

Contest winners include: Jennifer Moreman, Tyler, Texas; Sonia Semone, also of Tyler; Starr Perry of Justin, Texas; Roxie Nichols from Coppell, Texas; Jessica Erickson, Austin, Texas; Pamela Davis of Richardson, Texas; Kevin Drennan from Dallas; and Paulette Ihrie, Waco, Texas.

“NYLO takes great pride in celebrating the contest winners and sharing their incredible talent with the local community by showcasing their works throughout our hotel,” said Patrick O’Neil, executive vice president operations for NYLO Hotels. “This was our third art contest to host, and each time we are amazed by the level of excellence in interpreting the region through various art forms. We are thrilled with the pieces that will be part of the Dallas / Las Colinas property.”

The contest included two major categories under which art was submitted. Artwork composed of acrylic, oil or mixed media, designated for the guestrooms, and corridor artwork, which was reserved for photography.

Originally from Dallas, Jennifer Moreman won first place in the guestroom category with her piece “Longhorn Love,” which is painted in vibrant, transparent layers of color not typical of the animal. Standing against a black background, the bright colors of the longhorn make it pop against the backdrop.

“I am so thankful to NYLO for presenting this exciting opportunity to show my artwork,” said Moreman. “Winning has given me more confidence as an artist, and it encourages me to continue painting and put even more of my work out there for others to experience and enjoy.”

NYLO’s second place winners in the guestroom category included Sonia Semone for her piece “Clash” and Starr Perry for her works “Gradiate” and “Gradiated.” As a contemporary abstract painter, Semone blends the use of color with the essential elements of design to create each piece. Perry, a working artist in the DFW Metroplex, uses a variety of mediums, including acrylic, collage, mixed media and digital art to create bold and vibrant works of art. Third place winners included Roxie Nichols for her “Fire Storm” submission and Jessica Erickson’s piece “Grow.”

In the corridor category, the grand prize was awarded to native Texan Pamela Davis for her photo titled “Mold Study, Horse in Mold,” which captures oak white mold on an old fence. When wet by recent rain, Davis spied the face of a horse staring back at her.

“I have a grand love of nature and try to express the hidden nuances of it in my images,” said Davis. “The images of Texas I stumble upon often need recognition.”

“Texas” by Kevin Drennan won second place in NYLO’s corridor category, and the final winner in the category was Paulette Ihrie, a portrait and freelance photographer, for her photo “We Ride On.”

Prizes for the contest winners vary from $750 to $2,250 with the potential for NYLO to consider purchasing additional artwork outside of the designate prize values. Winning artwork also will be for sale in the hotel and on the NYLO Web site. As an additional way to support the local community, 90 percent of sales from artwork will go back to the artist and 10 percent to Habitat for Humanity.

Source: NYLO

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