This year’s Art Search Contest drew from a pool of talented artists far and wide. Their works included handsome photographs and landscapes to mixed mediums, fine drawings and surreal collages. The choice of winners took some back and forth between us. Our final two selections were based primarily on the artist’s skill and facility with their materials, and principally, their personal vision regarding their subject.

For First Place, we have chosen the work of Emma Knight of Richmond, Va. Emma Knight’s unique and playful landscape scenes provide a lush view into an imaginary land that commingles the micro world of organisms with the scale of the more typical vista, morphing plants and trees into a hyperactive viral theatre. Knight’s paintings are fascinating to peer into and consider, and highly expressive of the artist’s own developed style.

Her work will be exhibited from August 4th-26th at the Chroma Projects Art Lab in Charlottesville.