WASHINGTON, D.C. – Caleb Clark, originally from Walden, has been awarded a Certificate of Excellence from the Portrait Society of America in this year’s International Portrait Competition. Clark was in Washington D.C. in May to be honored for his 8.5×12 oil painting on linen panel titled “Dre.”
Clark attended the National Portrait and Figurative Artists Conference in D.C. where “Dre” was displayed at the annual The Art of the Portrait presentation and received his award on the Main Stage of the Gala Banquet.
With over 3,000 entries, Clark’s is one of 27 works that was judged as outstanding and worthy of distinction. The goal of the Portrait Society is to honor some of the finest portrait and figurative work being created today and to inspire and energize artists from all over the world.
A crowd estimated at 500 people were on hand for Saturday evening’s awards ceremony. Clark said he was very excited he got to see first-hand many of the portraits that won awards. Because it was an international competition, Clark got to view winning portraits from around the globe.
“The whole experience was great,” said Clark. “Definitely a new experience. And it was certainly a great honor to be there considering all the talent that was there. It was just an absolute honor to be recognized.”
At the end of the evening, a grand winner was chosen from among the 19 finalists. Famed portrait artist Frances Bell of England took home the top award. “It was really amazing to get to see her work up close,” said Clark.
Clark said the winning portrait measured about two feet by two feet. He submitted a smaller portrait of a friend named Andrea, whose nickname was Dre. “I guess I was just shocked I was recognized along with all these great artists, in the best way possible,” he said. “It was just such a great honor.”
Clark said he started painting seriously at about age 21 and he has been practicing his craft for the last 16 years. “I love it. . . I’m very fortunate I’m able to do this.”
Clark said he will be coming up to Vermont this week to witness his father, Mike Clark, being inducted into the Vermont Principal’s Association Hall of Fame in Montpelier on Friday.
Clark attended the Green Mountain Waldorf School in Wolcott, through eighth grade. He then attended St. Johnsbury Academy where he took art classes with artist instructors Bill and Kim Darling. While at the Academy he was a member of the Intaglio Society that went to Florence, Italy, on three occasions where he studied printmaking at the famous Il Bisonte Printmaking School.
Following graduation from St. Johnsbury Academy Clark went to North Carolina, further developing his skills at The Fine Arts League of Asheville and The Fine Arts League of the Carolinas. These schools were established by Fresco Master Ben Long to preserve and develop the traditions and techniques of the Old Masters. It was here that Clark was immersed in a curriculum based on rigor and accomplishment, gaining the skills needed to explore the four major aspects of representational art: figure, portraiture, landscape and still life. He has also earned a Visual Arts degree from Goddard College in Vermont.
Clark’s parents, Alicia Benoit-Clark and Mike Clark and brother Jacob reside in Walden. Caleb and his partner Elizabeth Elmore reside in Leicester, N.C. He has an art studio in Asheville and frequently displays his works throughout North Carolina at art shows and exhibits with artist colleagues.
