1st Place: Laurie Bieze
2nd Place: Steve Bateman
3rd Place: Lori Chilefone

There are a startling number amazing visual artists around here working in everything from paint to ceramics to found objects. And since “art is in the eye of the beholder,” this category is less about the “best” artists and certainly more about the artists that a lot of people know about and like. Long-time artist and local legend Laurie Bieze, most known for her work in stained glass, ended up on top this year. In at number two is Steve Bateman, a well-known renaissance man who does everything from making massive (and amazing) junk sculptures to drawing your caricature at Oakwood Mall during the holiday season. And third place, Lori Chilefone, a quiet force in the local art community, is most known for her striking mixed media collages and throwback aesthetic. Both Chilefone and Bateman have been involved with the new Open Air Festival of the Arts that started two years ago in Phoenix Park. – Nick Meyer