2025 Besser Museum Juried Art Exhibition
Meet our Three Jurors
July 19 - July 26 Delivery of Work & Fee; July 28 - July 30 Art Selection & Jury Process; Saturday, August 2 at 2pm: Art Exhibit Reception and Announcement of Best of Show.
Click here for more information and the Juried Art registration form.
Laurie Wade
Laurie is pleased to work alongside Gene Reimann and Joe Donna jurying the Northeast Michigan Juried Art Exhibit. In the late 1980s, Laurie taught wet process black and white photography at Michigan State University while completing graduate work in Sculptural Ceramics. She received an MFA in studio art in 1986. Laurie's early work was consistently 3 dimensional, she also worked a great deal in etching and paper-making, which is still reflected in her work today. Later, Laurie went on to work as Director of Arts and Crafts for the United States Air Force. She soon turned her attention back to ceramics and secured a teaching position at Alpena Community College. Along with a community of Artist/Instructors and Technicians, she reshaped and established what became a vibrant Fine Arts program for ACC students and Northeast Michigan. Laurie retired from ACC in 2019. Her artwork has been exhibited nationally and throughout the state of Michigan.
Gene Reimann
Gene Reimann was an art educator for 52 years – 32 full time at Alpena High School until retirement number 1, then 20 additional years as an adjunct instructor of drawing and painting at Alpena Community College to retirement number 2. An Alpena high school graduate, his formal training includes study at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Alpena Community College, Wayne State University, Michigan State University, and various workshops. He has taught many areas of the visual arts, including drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, jewelry, and computer generated imagery (CGI). His personal art can be found all over the United States, covering works from humble pencil drawings to fiery castings of bronze sculptures. Currently, CGI is his preferred media of choice. As for criteria in judging art he says, "Anything can be called art... the problem is it good or bad art?" His criteria used to judge art, even his own, includes: originality of idea, relevance to theme, use of materials, composition and design elements.
Joe Donna
Born in New York, Joe Donna grew up in the Detroit area. In 1985, he received an MFA in Ceramics from Michigan State University. Shortly thereafter, he secured a teaching position at Kirkland Community College where he taught for the next 27 years. Currently, he is an adjunct faculty member at Alpena Community College where he has taught art for the past 36 years. Joe works in all mediums but favors the photographic image. His subject matter ranges from whimsical portrayals of current culture to the deadly seriousness of religious dogma. Joe's works have been in many national exhibitions with several private collections. He has participated in exhibitions at the Besser Museum and has participated for the past eight years in Art Prize in Grand Rapids, Michigan.