HAGERSTOWN, Md. – A painting that captures the horrors of a fire won the People’s Choice Award for the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts’ “Cumberland Valley Artists” exhibition.
Museum visitors named Lesa Cook of Burkittsville, Md., the winner for her oil painting “House on Fire.” Cumberland Valley Artists Exhibition was on display June 15-Aug. 25.
Cook’s piece was among 65 pieces of art by 62 artists in this year’s juried exhibition. An annual tradition since the 1930s, the “Cumberland Valley Artists” exhibition showcases, celebrates and supports artists of the Cumberland Valley region. This year’s exhibition juror was Lise Dubé-Scherr, dean of Continuing and Professional Studios at Delaware College of Art and Design,
The painting shows a person in the foreground watching fire lick at a house. Fortunately, Cook said, the work is not based on an actual event but is part of a current series she’s is working on that explores fire.
“I’m interested in the intersection of man and nature and particularly the mesmerizing beauty and destructive power of fire,” she said. “Beyond that, I hope the narrative retains some ambiguity since I like the viewer to go away with their own interpretation.”
With a 36-inch-by-48-inch canvas, Cook said she made “a conscious decision” to paint it on a large scale.
“I had done a series of small studies for this series, and while they were well received, I knew the subject matter demanded a large scale,” she said.
This is the first time she has won People’s Choice, but she won the individual Valley Art Association Award in 2016 and 2018.
“I am honored that the piece spoke to so many people,” she said about her People’s Choice win. “Painting is solitary work, so when you see that something connects with other people, it is really gratifying.”
Cook said she doesn’t want viewers to have a “specific reaction or emotion” when seeing her painting.
“I prefer to allow the viewer to come to the painting with their own set of experiences and interpret it through their personal lens,” she said. “That is way more interesting for me, and more of a conversation.”
It’s because of the exhibition’s reputation that she continues to enter often.
“The exhibition is well respected, and I usually try to enter work,” she said. “I enjoy seeing the variety and high caliber of work that gets juried in.”
As for the $100 cash prize, Cook said she already has plans: art supplies.
“I appreciate the museum and all it does to promote local art. I appreciate the friendly staff, and I love having access to the Singer collection,” she said. “The fact that I can drive a short distance and be in the presence of such amazing work is one of the reasons I love living where I do.”
Guidelines to submit to the 2025 Cumberland Valley Artists Exhibition will be announced in the fall.
