BBAC features local students in new show

BIRMINGHAM — The annual “Current Student Works Show” will be on display at the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center until March 2. This juried exhibition showcases the work of BBAC adult students.

Over 300 students submitted their work to this year’s show, and 196 works were selected. Of these pieces, jurors chose 21 works as 2023 honorees.

This year’s exhibition was juried by Kristie Everett Zamora, former Oakland County coordinator for arts, culture and film, and the former coordinator of exhibitions at the Flint Institute of Arts.

A total of $3,000 in cash prizes, course tuition certificates and gift cards for art supplies were distributed to the honorees.

Honorees come from the local community, including Beverly Hills, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township and more.

Ed Tillery was one of this year’s honorees from Bloomfield Hills. Tillery won $1,000 through the Eva Briggs Award. This is Tillery’s second time in the show; his first year was in 2015.

His award-winning acrylic piece is titled  “Focus.” Tillery is an abstract painter who has taken classes from instructor Kim Fay.

“She has been an outstanding instructor in guiding me in the direction for my artwork,” Tillery said.

While working on his art, Tillery shared his unique creative process.

When he approaches a blank canvas, he likes to put on a headset and listen to music from various soundtracks. While he was working on “Focus,” the soundtrack that inspired him was the “Lion King” score, composed by Hans Zimmer.

“What happens when you are painting like that is you get a rhythm, you get a feeling inside, and the inspiration just flows, and you add your paints and you start creating,” Tillery said.

Margo Weiner, from Birmingham, won one term of tuition from the BBAC Tuition Award with her piece “Boxed Whimsy.”

Her award-winning piece was a paper collage. Normally, Weiner works with acrylics.

Weiner’s instructor was Andrea Tama, to whom she has been going for years. She said Tama is a wonderful teacher who is always there to help students and push them outside of their comfort zone.

“It is just a nice place, because it’s very easy-going, and you make friends that you wouldn’t normally see in your day-to-day life,” Weiner said.

Weiner has had several different pieces included in the “Current Student Works Show.” Weiner has been taking classes with the BBAC for about 20 years.

“It is always a nice honor to be awarded, but it is a nice honor just to be selected to participate in the show,” Weiner said. 

The “Current Student Works Show” at the BBAC is a free exhibit that is supported by the Bank of Ann Arbor/Birmingham. It will be open until March 2  at 1516 S. Cranbrook Road in Birmingham.