Meet the Judges 2009

The judges for the 7th Annual Cloverdale Sculpture Exhibit were Sandra Erickson, Jennifer Sloan and Allan Voigt. The judges launched the exhibit with an opening reception in the Plaza on June 6th. At that event they selected "Shadows of Eternity” by Boback Emad as Best of Show, and “Spires + Pinnacles” by Frank Miller, “Totem” by Joseph Styles, and “Pinnacles” by Steven Brown as Honorable Mentions.

Our judges had a big challenge in designating only four awards from amongst the 20 fine sculptures on exhibit.  However, each is a highly qualified arts connoisseur:

Sandra Erickson is an expert in contemporary works by local and internationally-known artists, and owner of the pre-eminent Sonoma County contemporary art showcase, Erickson Fine Art Gallery, Inc. Established in 1984 and located in Healdsburg, Erickson Gallery has consistently offered some of the finest artwork available anywhere in Northern California. Sandra is also a sought-after consultant to corporate and private collectors. “I’m delighted to participate in growing the reputation of Cloverdale as a destination for art” she commented.

Jennifer Sloan is the Executive Director of the Arts Council of Sonoma County, where she provides leadership in support of the growth and accessibility of all art and artists in Sonoma County. Now it its 25th year of serving and assisting the arts in Sonoma County, the Arts Council is the premier county-wide arts organization. “Our mission is to make Sonoma County as well known for art as it is for wine” Jennifer states.

Allan Voigt, together with his wife Judy, founded the Voigt Family Sculpture Foundation in 2005 to facilitate the installation of larger outdoor sculpture in publicly-accessible places. Their vision is to excite, inspire and educate by promoting the placement of sophisticated and diverse types of sculpture, created by artists of international renown, in publicly-accessible places in Sonoma County, with a special emphasis on large outdoor works. The Voigt Family Foundation’s inaugural project was the Foss Creek Pathway, in conjunction with the City of Healdsburg.  "Our aim is to make Sonoma County a place where people come to see world-class sculpture,” says Allan. “Food and wine and art - that's a pretty good combination."