Molly Boatman’s winning piece.
Submitted photos
WILMINGTON — A local artist and graphic designer won “Best in Show” at the “Poetic Visions of Mackinac Island (Michigan)” Art & Poetry exhibition.
Molly Boatman announced she was the Best in Show on her “Molly Boatman Dot Com” Facebook page on Monday. The winning piece was a photo and poem called “The Frog Porter.”
Boatman told the News Journal it was “very validating” to receive the award.
“There were multiple gorgeous photographs and poetry pieces, I thought I might receive an award for my poetry, but I didn’t imagine I’d win overall. It was a great surprise,” said Boatman.
She described her winning photo as a “right place, right time” happening. She was heading for the ferry dock on Mackinac Island when she saw the frog “just content as could be.”
The poem was inspired by the “whimsical nature of Mackinac Island.”
“I’d had the photo in my collection for sometime before I wrote the poem and always felt it had a story behind it of the frog being a Dock Porter waiting for new visitors to arrive off the ferry,” she said.
“Poetic Visions” is a visual arts and poetry exhibition open to adults nationwide. The exhibit showcases photographs of the island and surrounding area with a coordinating poem.
The Mackinac Arts Council sponsors the annual exhibition to celebrate the beauty of Mackinac while providing island students and professionals with an opportunity to share their creative vision of the island. The goal is to demonstrate the importance and value of the visual and written arts.
The awards are judged by a rotating panel of accomplished Michigan artists and poets.
The jurors bestow an Award of Excellence for one artist and one poet in each category and together, they will select a Best of Show Award. The Best of Show Award is based on the quality of the art and poetry as well as how they work together to portray Mackinac Island.
This year, Boatman’s photographs are four of only 41 featured in the exhibit.
The exhibit is on display at the Center for the Arts at Mission Point Resort, One Lakeshore Drive, Mackinac Island, Michigan, from June – October.
Boatman advises those unable to visit the exhibit in person can purchase a copy of the winning photograph via mollyboatmandotcom.etsy.com or Sugartree Mill Co., Strength & Dignity Boutique, and the Clinton County History Center, all located in Wilmington.
Reach John Hamilton at 937-382-2574
