Juror Andrea Eis will award over $1,500 in cash prizes to the winners of the Michigan Annual XXXVIII art competition at the Anton Art Center’s opening reception 6-9 pm Friday, January 27, 2012.

Eis, Associate Professor of Art and Chair of Art and Art History Department at Oakland University, selected 38 pieces out of 217 submitted by artists from around the state. During the opening reception, Eis will announce First, Second and Third Prize winners, who will receive cash awards of $800, $500 and $300, respectively. The awards are sponsored by the Anton Art Center.

The exhibition opens in the Anton Art Center’s Main Galleries January 27 and will run through February 24. This exhibition has been a long-standing tradition, bringing together some of the best artwork across the state.

Each year the Michigan Annual brings together work from artists living and working in all corners of the state. This year, successful applicants come from as far away as Spring Arbor (ceramic artist JD Garn), Grand Junction (oil painter Gail Potocki) and Allendale (oil painter Shannon Maisel) and as close to home as Mount Clemens (painter Lauren Calhoun).

What really makes this event special is the level of diversity – ranging from established artists to those who are self-taught, teens to seniors, traditional to contemporary works. This exhibition highlights exceptional pieces created in all media including ceramics, drawing, fibers, painting, photography, sculpture and more. Most of the works are available for purchase.

A Michigan printmaking drop-in workshop will be held in conjunction with the Michigan Annual XXXVIII. Thanks to sponsorship by The Hagen Family Foundation, the workshop is free to attendees and will give visitors of all ages a chance to try their hand at linoleum block printmaking. The workshop will be held Sunday, February 12, 1-4 pm. No registration is necessary.

For more information about the Anton Art Center, or to make a donation or become a member, call the center at 586-469-8666 or visit www.theartcenter.org. The Anton Art Center is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm; Friday, 10 am to 6 pm; and Sunday, 12 noon to 4 pm. The center is closed on Mondays.

Admission to the Anton Art Center is free and open to the public.

The Anton Art Center’s 2012 programs are made possible in part by the Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan, the Kresge Foundation, the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Anton Art Center, the hub for the arts in Macomb County, is located in historic downtown Mount Clemens on the southeast corner of Southbound Gratiot Avenue (M-3) and Macomb Place. Convenient public parking is located in the adjacent Roskopp Parking Lot.

About the Anton Art Center

The Anton Art Center’s mission is to enrich and inspire the lives of Macomb County residents and visitors of all ages, through the infusion of the arts into everyday life. We achieve this through exhibits, educational programming, community outreach and special events. Our success comes from creative leadership, a strong sense of community and the generosity of our members and supporters.

AAC is the only facility of its kind in Macomb County, and it underwent a $1.6 million expansion and rehabilitation in 2006. AAC presents a quarterly schedule of educational programs in various media for youth and adults, annual events, monthly exhibits, is a regranting agency for the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.