Fine Arts Exhibition
The Decatur Arts Alliance presents the Fine Arts Exhibition, a juried multimedia showcase presented alongside the Decatur Arts Festival. The exhibition is displayed in the Fourth Floor Gallery of the Decatur Library, home to the Georgia Center for the Book.
About the Exhibition
The annual Fine Arts Exhibition is produced in conjunction with the Decatur Arts Festival through collaboration by the Decatur Arts Alliance, the Decatur Branch of the Dekalb County Public Library, and the Georgia Center for the Book with support from the Dekalb Library Foundation.
Exhibition Run: May 2 – June 13, 2025
Location: Fourth Floor Gallery of the Decatur Library
Gallery Hours: Thursday to Saturday, 1-5pm
The 36th annual Fine Arts Exhibition: “Cat & Mouse”
Cat and Mouse…
Is a playful way to illustrate a certain type of power struggle. This game of constant pursuit, capture, and escape is a trope of fables, fiction, movies, and cartoons. Will one win over the other, or are the combatants locked in a never-ending game where the upper hand is gained, but eventually lost?
After her enemies forced her to abdicate her throne on July 24, 1567, leading to unsuccessful attempt to regain the throne, Queen Mary of Scotland fled to England, seeking the protection of her cousin, Elizabeth I. Perceiving Mary as a threat, Elizabeth confined her in various castles and manor houses in the interior of England.
Queen Mary was a skilled needlewoman and sewed many embroideries while she was under house arrest in England. An important means of expression for Mary, her amazing collection of embroideries featured fantastical beasts, Latin sayings, and hidden meanings…
One embroidery in particular, Mary’s embroidery of a cat, is imbued with hidden meaning. The cat depicted has red fur, a nod to Elizabeth I’s red, Tudor hair. The cat has its paw on the tail of a mouse, stopping it escaping. Is this a reference to the power struggle between these two female monarchs, or to Mary’s imprisonment, where the meek mouse, though under the cat’s foot, is bound to escape?
The Decatur Arts Alliance invited artists working in all media to submit work that explores the meaning of the game of “Cat and Mouse” in all its aspects: historical, political, and moral. Like the embroidery of the imprisoned Queen of Scotland, hidden meanings, games, and feints are encouraged in all works…
Exhibition Events
Closing Reception
Friday, June 13th, 2025
6:30 – 9:00pm
Join the celebration to bid the nearly 60 artworks from across the United States “farewell” as the exhibition comes to a close. Enjoy light refreshments and good company, with some of the exhibiting artists in attendance.
Gallery Prizes & Purchase Awards
Each year, the exhibition jurors select three “best of show” artworks that are awarded with a cash prize of $1,000 for first, $700 for second, and $500 for third place. Additionally, the City of Decatur often purchases artwork to become part of the municipality’s art collection.
Gallery Awards
Check back soon for award announcements
City of Decatur Purchase Awards
Check back soon for award announcements
Nearly 60 artworks comprise the 2025 Fine Arts Exhibition: “Cat & Mouse”. Find more information about the unique artworks from across the United States below. Click on each image to see the artist statement about the work, and follow these links to download the full exhibition catalog with artist statements or the consolidated price list.
See an artwork you love? Submit a purchase request during the exhibition run using the form below and a Decatur Arts Alliance staff member will be in touch to complete the transaction. Titles with an asterisk (*) indicate that artwork has already been purchased. Some artworks are listed as Not For Sale (NFS).
Sudden Savant Syndrome
by Brad Barrington
Fort Worth, TX – 2024
21 x 10 x 6 inches
Bronze
$2,800
Better Run
by Arabella Brown
Marietta, GA – 2024
10.5 x 14 inches • 34 1/16 x 26 1/16 inches (framed)
Watercolor
$700
Lose Control
by Armando Chacon
Lilburn, GA – 2025
24 x 24 inches
Oil on canvas
$3,000
Samsara Sushi
by Marc Chicoine
Raleigh, NC – 2023
36 x 48 inches
Pastel and encaustic on canvas
$1,600
Don’t Touch My Cat
by Natalia Cole
Decatur, GA- 2024
10 x 20 inches
Acrylic paint, ink, paper on canvas
$550
Just Keep Going
by Tara Coyt
Atlanta, GA- 2025
26 x 22 x 1 inches
Archival pigment print
$750
Redfish
by Terry Craig
Brunswick, GA- 2025
28 x 24 inches
Watercolor
$600
It’s a Maze to Find You
by Ansley Denihan
Marietta, GA – 2024
16 x 18 inches
Acrylic, oil, cold wax, posca pen on canvas panel
$475
This Month’s It Girl
by Jala Ealey
Decatur, GA – 2025
24 x 30 inches
Oil paint
$275
Open the Door
by Cynthia Frigon
Decatur, GA – 2025
12 x 16 inches
Collage
$650
Modern Day Moses
by Gabriel García
East Point, GA – 2024
18 x 23 inches (framed)
Photograph – Archival pigment print
$450
Walking By
by Gabriel García
East Point, GA – 2024
18 x 23 inches (framed)
Photograph – Archival pigment print
$450
Heritage
by Don Gilmer
Hiram, GA – 2025
39 x 26 x 2 inches
Mixed media
$800
Vessel of Resistance
by Carol Harvey
Decatur, GA – 2025
29 x 18 x 9.5 inches
Ceramic Sculpture
$1,700
Split by Myth, Bound by Blood
by Annmarie Jalmasco
Atlanta, GA – 2025
48 x 60 inches
Acrylic and gold leaf on canvas
$10,000
Expectations
by Morgan Burton Johnson
Gold Beach, OR – 2023
19 x 27 inches
Oil on board
$1,200
Brightside
by Lauri Jones
Decatur, GA – 2023
31 x 23 inches
Quilted cotton textile with free-motion stitching
$1,500
Contradictions
by Lauri Jones
Decatur, GA – 2022
35 x 35 inches
Quilted cotton textile
$1,500
Inheritance
by Lauri Jones
Decatur, GA – 2023
40 x 40 inches
Quilted cotton textile with free-motion stitching
$2,000
Shrunken Mother
by Eric Kaepplinger
Atlanta, GA – 2024
30 x 38 x 3 inches
Canvas, acrylic, graphite, mica, frames and wood
$800
Peaches Secret
by Romas Kukalis
Landrum, SC – 2023
26 x 33 inches
Acrylics on board
$2,200
Alert Cat
by David Kwak
Schuylerville, NY – 2024
4.25 x 3 x 3 inches
Wood-salt fired wild ireon-rich stoneware with wild porcelain slip
$60
Tired Cat
by David Kwak
Schuylerville, NY – 2024
4.25 x 3 x 3 inches
Wood-salt fired wild ireon-rich stoneware with wild porcelain slip
$60
Teetering
by Ryan Lamfers
Carrollton, GA – 2025
12.5 x 6 x 2.75 inches
Bronze
$1,000
Tempest or the Tide?
by Ryan Lamfers
Carrollton, GA – 2024
16 x 12 x 12 inches
Bronze
$4,000
To My Constituents…
by Ryan Lamfers
Carrollton, GA – 2025
50 x 24 x 14 inches
Cast iron and steel
$3,600
Language Barrier
by Jessica Lily
Lawrenceville, GA – 2025
24 x 36 inches
Watercolor on paper
$700
Dancing in the Shadows
by Jessica Lily
Lawrenceville, GA – 2025
11 x 14 inches
Watercolor and ink on paper
$200
On the Road to Find Out
by Jessica Lily
Lawrenceville, GA – 2025
18 x 24 inches
Watercolor and ink on paper
$450
Sovereign and Captive
by Angela Liu
Diamond Bar, CA – 2025
18 x 18 inches
Acrylic
$400
Thread of Hope
by Angela Liu
Diamond Bar, CA – 2025
16 x 20 inches
Drawing
$400
Redirect
by Mary Mattimoe
Decatur, GA – 2023
34.5 x 10 inches
Quilted hand-dyed cotton and rayon threads
$575
My Power. My Choice. #2
by Cristina Montesinos
Decatur, GA – 2022
48 x 24 x 1.5 inches
Acrylic on canvas
$1,845
Rising
by Cristina Montesinos
Decatur, GA – 2022
40 x 40 x 1.5 inches
Acrylic and graphite on canvas
$2,450
Untitled (Mouse with Gift) from the series Ancient Interment
by John Morris
Newnan, GA – 2025
14 x 14 inches
Silver gelatin
$450
Untitled (Snow Covered Mouse) from the series Ancient Interment
by John Morris
Newnan, GA – 2025
14 x 14 inches
Silver gelatin
$450
Garden
by Shijun Munns
Lilburn, GA – 2025
12 x 16 x 1.5 inches
Oil on canvas
$300
Gotcha!
by Susan Perry
Fayetteville, GA – 2022
22 x 21 inches
Photography
$250
Your Fears Face You
by Elizabeth Powers
Cypress, TX – 2024
34 x 24 inches
Watercolor
$2,100
Holiday Calories
by Jennifer Rand
Boston, MA – 2024
23 x 23 inches (framed)
Oil in panel
$5,000
Cock Fight
by Tony Rio
Normal, IL – 2021
17 x 19 inches
Oil and plaster on gypsum board
$800
Sneak Attack
by Tony Rio
Normal, IL – 2021
17 x 14 inches
Oil and plaster on gypsum board
$800
King and Joker
by Egor Shokoladov
Hillsboro, OH – 2020
Picture size: 5¹/₈ x 4⁹/₆₄ inches
Frame size: 16 x 13 inches
Etching
$400
Mr. Fox Focus
by Egor Shokoladov
Hillsboro, OH – 2021
Picture size: 6¹⁹/₆₄ x 6¹⁹/₆₄ inches
Frame size: 16 x 13 inches
Etching, hand-colored
$400
Stairs at Night
by Brandi Smart
Juror Invitational Artwork
Atlanta, GA – 2021
18 x 24 inches
Acrylic on canvas
$1,000
Charlotte Swims While the Boys Fish
by Vanessa Snyder
Peachtree City, GA – 2024
38 x 28 inches
Mixed media
$600
Underwater 2
by Vanessa Snyder
Peachtree City, GA – 2023
30 x 30 inches
Mixed media on paper
$400
Parade Series – Lamentation of the Dodo
by Randy Taylor
Atlanta, GA – 2022
12 x 18 x 1.5 inches
Ink on paper
$350
Hot Pursuit
by Lisa Thomas
Brookhaven, GA – 2024
20 x 16 x 1 inches
Digital photography, acrylic paint
$700
So Give Your Consent, and Lie With Us
by Shannon Thomas
Woodstock, GA – 2025
32 x 38 inches
White colored pencil on black paper
$1,400
Byllye Avery, An Egg Does Not A Woman Make
by Flizzie Thompson
Atlanta, GA – 2024
23.5 x 17.5 inches
Tempera paint, eggshells, guilded MDF
NFS
Denise Oliver-Velez, An Egg Does Not A Woman Make
by Flizzie Thompson
Atlanta, GA – 2024
23.5 x 17.5 inches
Tempera paint, eggshells, guilded MDF
NFS
Self Creek Road
by Jasmin Warnock
Atlanta, GA – 2024
30 x 24 inches
Woodcut relief on BFK Rives
$975
Mouse Tails
by Susan Waters
Rockmart, GA – 2025
20 x 17 inches
Oil
$425
Tracy Murrell
Tracy Murrell is an Atlanta-based visual artist with an extensive exhibition history in group, solo, and juried shows. Her work has been featured in prominent publications such as Create! Magazine, New American Paintings, and ArtVoices, and she has participated in prestigious residencies, including The Hambidge Center and Green Olive Arts in Morocco. A 2022 Gold recipient in ArtFolio’s Painting category, Murrell also served as a Brown University CSREA Practitioner Fellow. In addition to her public art projects and international collaborations, she is a member of the Atlanta Beltline Public Art Advisory Council, bringing her expertise to artist selection and exhibition curation.
Mark Schoon
Mark Schoon is an artist and educator living in Atlanta, GA. His photographs are included in the permanent collection of The High Museum of Art, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Museum of Photographic Arts in San Diego, CA, the University of North Dakota, and the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. He holds a BA in television production from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and an MFA in Photography from Ohio University.
Schoon is currently a Professor of Art at The University of West Georgia.
Brandi Smart
Brandi Smart, owner of Empire Arts Gallery in Kirkwood, is passionate about fostering a vibrant arts community. Her own artistic journey began with a BFA in Fine Arts from the Cleveland Institute of Art, which included studies at the Hochschule Anhalt in Dessau, Germany. Brandi finds inspiration in the quiet beauty of the night, and her personal work explores the mystery and magic of nightscapes.
Add an impressive work from this year’s exhibition to your home or workspace. Use the form below to express your interest in a specific piece and a member of the Decatur Arts Alliance staff will be in touch soon to complete the transaction.
