2026 Black Swamp Arts Festival Juried Art Show Winners and Additional Awards
The 2026 Black Swamp Arts Festival (BSAF) is pleased to announce the winners of the Juried Art Show.
Best 2-D was awarded to Erika Pickrell, Printmaking & Drawing from Columbus, Ohio and Best 3-D was awarded to Josiah Eidmann, Jewelry from Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The Juried Show’s Judge’s Award was given to Linda Chamberlain, Painting from Bay City, Michigan, the Sustainability Award was Rachel McFarlane David, Wood from Reynoldsburg, Ohio, and this year’s Emerging Artist was awarded to Matt Gaberell, Painting from Columbus, Ohio.
Honorable mentions went to Kwame Boama Mensa-Aborampa (Painting), Steven Daniel (Photography & Digital Art), and Leif Johansen (Mixed Media).
Over 100 artists were selected for the 2026 Juried Art Show at Black Swamp Arts Festival, with review conducted by three judges from various art backgrounds. At the 2026 show, festival organizers were made aware that the Best in Show awardee was ineligible to receive the award and to be included in the festival, as the art submitted for entry did not represent original design. The festival's Committee acted on this information, confirmed ineligibility, removed the award, and closed the artist's booth for the remainder of the festival. BSAF is committed to its mission of connecting art and the community, and to the integrity of its Juried Art Show. The Committee congratulates the 2026 awardees.
The following awards were also presented at the festival:
The inaugural Founders Award was awarded to Ben’s. The Founders Award is in honor of the legacy of Sandy Wicks, who died earlier this year. Wicks was an essential founder and backer of the first Black Swamp Arts Festival and then continued to provide a multitude of support for the event each and every year. In addition, she started Grounds for Thought, led and inspired the local art community, and made a profound difference in Bowling Green and in the world as a whole. Sandy Wicks’ creativity was matched by her generosity of spirit, and this new award is a tribute to her immeasurable impact on the festival and the community.
The 2026 winners of the Dan Baglione Service Award were presented to Chris and Jean Geist. This award was established to recognize an outstanding volunteer, supporter, or advocate for their service to the Black Swamp Arts Festival. The honor reflects the legacy of Dan Baglione, who was one of the founding members of the Black Swamp Arts Festival and served in the role of Site and Logistics chair for the first five years of the festival. He had an enthusiastic, energetic, and inventive spirit, and his vision laid the groundwork for the festival’s current Site and Logistics Committee. Baglione lived graciously and courageously with cancer until his death in 2002.
Bowling Green High School won the award for Best Overall in this year’s Chalk Walk with their portrait of Dolly Parton. This Bowling Green team also won an award for Best Composition. Another Bowling Green team received an award for Best Collaboration for their depiction of a cherub. Anthony Wayne High School won awards for Best Use of Medium and Best Interpretation, and Eastwood High School won an award for Best Use of Color. The theme for this year’s Chalk Walk was ‘Blended Two’ taking two genres or artists/pieces and creating one piece. Chalk Walk is a high school chalk mural competition where schools receive prize money for the school’s art department.
Bowling Green High School was selected as the winner of this year’s Beats on the Street acapella vocal performance competition for area high school students, receiving prize money for the school’s music department. Spencerville High School received second place and Maumee High School received third place also winning money for the school’s music department.
