Artist Awards
We welcome you to join us on the Peoria Riverfront to explore artwork through the eyes of these nationally recognized artists. All-original, fine craftsmanship is displayed with works in jewelry, painting, printmaking, drawing, photography, digital art, ceramics, wood, glass, mixed media, metal, leather and fiber.
Artists are selected by our prestigious judges from viewing works live. The following individuals won 2017 awards and were invited to join us in 2018!
2022 Fine Art Fair Award Winners
Best of Show
Carrie Pearce
Medium: Mixed Media
Awards of Excellence
Gerome Bonner/ Parker TX
Medium: Photography
Yuliya Wolf / Hartford WI
Medium: Leather
Chris Plummer / Robards KY
Medium: Printmaking
2021 Fine Art Fair Award Winners
Best of Show
David Zahn / Moline Il
Medium: Sculpture
Awards of Excellence
Robert Wallis / Indianapolis IN
Medium: Photography
Anne Morris / Hillsboro WI
Medium: 2D Mixed Media
Ed Martin / Springfield Il
Medium: Glass
2019 Fine Art Fair Award Winners
Best of Show
Marlene Miller / Washington Il
Medium: Ceramics
Awards of Excellence
Wiwat Kamolpornwijit/ Alexandria VA
Medium: Jewelry
Kari Jamison / Hillsboro WI
Medium: Painting
Tanya Doskova / Phoenix AZ
Medium: Digital Art
Judges Choice
Karen Gelbard / Pacific City OR
Medium: Fiber
2018 Fine Art Fair Award Winners
Best of Show
Grace Gaynor / Chicago, IL
Medium: Metal
Awards of Excellence
Ken & Pat Larson / Sturgeon Lake, MN
Medium: Sculpture
Tom Radca / Port Washinton, OH
Medium: Ceramics
Margaret Luttrell / Knoxville, TN
Medium: 2D Mixed Media
Natalie O’Neal / Dunlap, IL
Medium: Photography
2017 Fine Art Fair Award Winners:
Best of Show
Karen Gelbard, Fiber - Booth 10
Pacific City, OR
Awards of Excellence
Melissa Banks, Jewelry - Booth 4
Chicago, IL
Tracey Frugoli, Painting - Booth 28
East Peoria, IL
Radim Schreiber, Photography - Booth 106
Fairfield, IA
2016 Fine Art Fair Award Winners:
Best of Show
Fong Choo, Ceramics - Booth 96
Awards of Excellence
Jill Bedford, Photography - Booth 106
Danny Chu, Painting: Oil & Acrylics - Booth 25
Adam Crowell, Wood - Booth 127
Karen Gelbard, Wearable Fiber - Booth 10
Richard Gruchalla, Ceramics - Booth 60
Michael Mikula, Glass - Booth 2
Dakota Pratt, Sculpture - Booth 70-71
Kim Russell, Drawing: Pastels - Booth 67
William Shearrow, Ceramics - Booth 120
Chuck Wimmer, Digital Art - Booth 1
Honorable Mentions
Christine Bartling, Jewelry - Booth 35
Tony Casper, Wood - Booth 98
Robert Coby, Glass - Booth 16
Steve Cunningham, Ceramics - Booth 21
Paul Lambrecht, Wood - Booth 79
Rezgar Mamandi, Ceramics - Booth 23
Xavier Nuez, Photography - Booth 142
Barbara Raidl, Printmaking - Booth 47
Richard Ryan, Glass - Booth 20
AB Word, Drawing: Pastels - Booth 102
2015 Fine Art Fair Award Winners:
Best of Show
Paul Eschelman, Ceramics (Best of Show) - Booth 144
Awards of Excellence
Ed & Kate Coleman, Ceramics (Award of Excellence) - Booth 33
Debora Duran-Geiger, 2D Mixed Media (Award of Excellence) - Booth 82
Nathan & Amanda Grubich, Ceramics (Award of Excellence) - Booth 66
James Pearce, Wood (Award of Excellence) - Booth 98
Barbara, Raidl, Printmaking (Award of Excellence) - Booth 47
Wesley Rasko, Glass (Award of Excellence) - Booth 70
Ivy Solomon, Jewelry (Award of Excellence) - Booth 23
Julie Sutter-Blair, Printmaking (Award of Excellence) - Booth 17
Ken Swanson, Printmaking (Award of Excellence) - Booth 112
Tyler Vorhees, 2D Mixed Media (Award of Excellence) - Booth 79
Honorable Mentions
Chris Corrie, Glass (Honorable Mention) - Booth 76
Richard Gruchalla, Ceramics (Honorable Mention) - Booth 60
Julie Jerman-Melka, Jewelry (Honorable Mention) - Booth 109
Shano, Kelley Jewelry (Honorable Mention) - Booth 86
James Parker, Photography (Honorable Mention) - Booth 30
Kristin Perkins, Jewelry (Honorable Mention) - Booth 09
Patty Schwegmann, Jewelry (Honorable Mention) - Booth 145
Steve Uren, Wood (Honorable Mention) - Booth 119
Betsy Youngquist, 3D Mixed Media (Honorable Mention) - Booth 73
Marc Zoschke, Jewelry (Honorable Mention) - Booth 31