Spring 2025 Cover Art Contest: Online Exhibition
Theme: Order & Chaos
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all the talented artists who participated in this contest, offering their powerful and unique interpretations of the theme.
Scroll down to explore the full exhibition, cast your vote for the People’s Choice Award, and discover more about each artist’s work.
A special thank you to our Art Create Team and guest jurors for their thoughtful selections and dedication to this process!
Jump to Artists | Jurors | People’s Choice Voting
Cover Art Contest Spring 2025 Artists
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Send in the Peace Doves – Marian Drouillard (1st Place)
mixed media on canvas, 18”x24”
(alcohol ink, acrylic ink, acrylic paint, paper doves) In a world where con ict and border or cultural wars take centre stage, it’s time to Send in the Peace Doves!
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Listen to Her - Julie A. Bell (2nd Place)
18” mixed media collage on glass
This is dedicated to the wise women whose powers are undermined and whose voices go unheeded, even in the face of the world’s heartbreaking collapse.
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Porthole to Earth - Leslie Harper-Reid (3rd Place)
Paper Weaving and Collage, 8” x 10”
Envisioning Earth from afar can inspire a profound sense of peace. Stripped of the daily chaos and distractions, it highlights the beauty and tranquility of our planet. The intricate, intertwining lines symbolize the vibrant reality of human life—the bustling energy of people, vehicles, and work—all coexisting in a dynamic and harmonious way.
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Dumpster Fire - Lori Grondin (Honourable Mention)
Acrylic yarn, crocheted amigurumi
This was designed because of who they elected in the United States. At the beginning of February, when turmoil was starting in the United States, I likened it to a dumpster fire — so I created that.
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Psychedelic Sunset - Lupita Amaya G. (Special Recognition)
Digital Photography
At the Peace Fountain, everyone was calmly enjoying the sunset and a pleasant evening when a sudden spray from the fountain created chaos, altering the previously serene scene.
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Awakening - Ruth Reeb (Special Recognition)
acrylic on canvas, 16” x 20”
This piece explores complexity through form, with tension and resolution at play. A structured grid seems to struggle against the flow of erupted colour—capturing a moment of awakening and realization.
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Order & Chaos - Lori Grondin (Special Recognition)
acrylic on canvas, 9” x 12”
Given the theme Order & Chaos and the current events unfolding in our country and the United States, this is what I felt compelled to paint. It’s my first political piece—but definitely not my last.
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Dance in Silence - Jovica Vucinic (Notable Entries)
oil, 3 x 4 ft
This artwork explores the tension between harmony and disorder, capturing the delicate balance where chaos and tranquility collide. Through dynamic forms and contrasting textures, it reflects the uneasy coexistence of structure and unpredictability, inviting viewers to confront the beauty and unease within this duality.
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Beauty Amidst Chaos I - Linda Heise (Notable Entries)
Mixed Media
Created during the COVID-19 pandemic, this piece reflects global turmoil through abstract forms. The women represent enduring beauty and resilience, encouraging hope during uncertain times. Amid debates, stress, and confusion, I used bold strokes to capture the chaos while reminding viewers of the beauty that still surrounded us.
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Line Movement - Jovica Vucinic (Notable Entries)
oil, 3 x 4 ft
This artwork explores the tension between harmony and disorder, capturing the delicate balance where chaos and tranquility collide. Through dynamic forms and contrasting textures, it reflects the uneasy coexistence of structure and unpredictability, inviting viewers to confront the beauty and unease within this duality.
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Gridlock - Leslie Harper - Reid
mixed media, 8”x8”
The gentle colours in the background evoke a sense of happiness and tranquillity—creating a sanctuary from life’s chaos. The black sections of the grid illustrate the distractions, obstacles, and challenges we face daily. Yet the white spaces within the grid remind us that there is always hope and possibility. They symbolize our resilience and the belief that we can navigate through difficult times and return to our cherished “happy place.”
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Divine Rhythm - Nora Harvey
mixed media on canvas, 30" x 40"
A complex composition of abstract shapes and lines dominates in black and white, creating a dynamic and textured visual experience. The elements interweave with contrasting tones, adding depth and motion.
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The Yin and the Yang - Christine Paris
mixed media
There is a little bit of chaos in every bit of order and a little bit of order in all chaos, like the yin in the yang.
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Turbulent - Ruth Reeb
acrylic on canvas, 24”x24”
This is an energetic piece, capturing dynamic movement across the canvas. A subtly meditative quality evokes an emotional response through the colours used, while also revealing an underlying force—suggestive of eruptive behaviour and hidden power.
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Beauty Amidst Chaos II - Linda Heise
Mixed Media
Created during the COVID-19 pandemic, this piece reflects global turmoil through abstract forms. The women represent enduring beauty and resilience, encouraging hope during uncertain times. Amid debates, stress, and confusion, I used bold strokes to capture the chaos while reminding viewers of the beauty that still surrounded us.
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Upheaval - Ruth Reeb
acrylic on canvas, 24”x24”
This piece features textured swirls that seem to take on a life of their own. A strong visual tension emerges within a perceived structural image—one that seeks to remain grounded amidst the movement.
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Kaleidoscope of Colour - Nora Harvey
mixed media on canvas, 40" x 16
Bright and chaotic, a mix of vibrant colors such as pink, green, and blue dominate the scene with energetic, swirling lines. The composition conveys a sense of movement and spontaneity, with bold and contrasting hues scattered throughout.
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Beauty of color - Jovica Vucinic
oil, 3 x 4 ft
This artwork explores the tension between harmony and disorder, capturing the delicate balance where chaos and tranquility collide. Through dynamic forms and contrasting textures, it reflects the uneasy coexistence of structure and unpredictability, inviting viewers to confront the beauty and unease within this duality.
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Artistic Whirpool -Lupita Amaya G.
Digital Photography
The colourful artistic markers were neatly organized, but after being moved, they ended up in chaos, disrupting their previous order.
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The Astrolabe - Christine Paris
Acrylic and Ink, 20”x20”
The astrolabe is the perfect art piece to speak to the theme of order and chaos. Its creation was to find one’s way out of chaos by allowing one to calculate their location on Earth, tell the time, locate celestial bodies.
In this rendition of the astrolabe, the artist has infused it with healing words of guidance through the chaos, healing essential oils to help navigate the chaos, and sacred geometry embedded in its layers for further protection and assistance as we navigate through our world of chaos to find order and peace.
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Triptych: “Kerfuffle, Ruckus and Hoop-la” - Leslie Harper - Reid
mixed media, 12”x16”
At first glance, this trio may seem like a chaotic blend of colors, shapes, and materials. However, a closer inspection reveals that each element not only stands out individually, but harmonizes beautifully with the wide variety of motifs that create a unifying composition.
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Fiushia Flowers Whirlwind - Lupita Amaya G.
Digital Photography
The pink flowers at Reaume Park were beautifully arranged until the storm and wind introduced chaos, disturbing their order.
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Van Gogh’s Heaven - Nora Harvey
acrylic on canvas, 24” x 30”
Inspired by Van Gogh’s e Poplars at Saint-Rémy, this painting is my homage to his vibrant colours, bold brushwork, and swirling skies. I wanted to capture that sense of movement, wonder, and the beauty of nature that he expressed so powerfully.
People’s Choice Award Form:
People’s Choice Award Voting
Vote for your favourite artwork and leave an optional comment.
Meet the Spring 2025 Cover Art Contest Jurors
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Barry T. Brodie
Barry T. Brodie is a poet, playwright, director, and educator. Author of several books, including Tom Thomson – On the Threshold of Magic, he has championed the creative process through teaching, theatre, and public art. His recent film, The Thousand Colours of the Morning, premiered at the Paris International Film Festival.
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Alicia Ristic
Alicia Ristic is the founder of Art Galia Gallery & Framing and a dedicated advocate for local artists. Since 2004, she has supported the Windsor-Essex arts community through workshops, mentoring, and custom framing—nurturing creativity and confidence in artists of all ages.
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Amanda Gellman
Amanda Gellman is a lmmaker, arts leader, and founder of Film Camp for Kids & Youth. She champions emerging artists and community storytelling through her work in media, education, and non-profits.
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Shirley Williams
Shirley Williams is an internationally recognized, award-winning artist known for her multi-layered abstract paintings expressing the energy of nature. She is currently represented by galleries in Cincinnati and San Francisco.
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Gulnaz Turdalieva
Gulnaz Turdalieva is a visual artist and designer with a passion for creative storytelling through image and form. As Founder, Creative Director, and Editor of Art Create Learn, she leads the magazine’s design, content, and vision—bringing together art, community, and thoughtful curation in every issue.
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Cat Turner
Cat Turner is a educator, writer, and editor with a deep love for art, literature, and lm. As Art Create Learn’s Copy Editor and Creative Consultant, she helps shape the magazine’s voice—ensuring clarity, cohesion, and creativity in every issue.
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Olga Klekner
Olga Klekner is a bilingual poet, visual artist, and photographer whose work appears in both Hungarian and English. As Art Create Learn’s Poetry Editor, she curates powerful poetic voices while also contributing original writing and artwork rooted in her international perspective.