Highlight Hollywood supports all venues of the entertainment industry, from politics to sports to cinema to fine arts. This year, we again have the exclusive rights to introduce our readers to the 25 Best Museums And Galleries In America, as designated by the American Art Awards. The AAA board, headed by president Thom Bierdz, known globally as Phillip Chancellor III on The Young & The Restless and painter of the BLUE X paintings, chooses only one museum or gallery per state per year. Their selections are based on years established, industry reputation, location, size, socially relevant exhibits, motivational and educational programs, represented artists as well as artist, client and visitor references.
Bierdz explains, “In the past, American Art Awards has honored well over a hundred museums and galleries. We study thousands each year and have selected 20 of our 25 for 2016. This year we award some enormous museums with historical significance of 100+ years, some with 100,000 square feet of exhibition space, some with 100,000 objects. We also select some of the most reputable and/or popular galleries, with different specialty genres. We also chose a few regional art centers making an impact on their communities offering inspiration and education.”
The American Art Awards annually awards museums and galleries each spring, as well as 300 international artists in autumn, with critique from these museums and galleries.
Below are 20 of the “American Art Awards 25 Best American Galleries Or Museums in 2016,” in order of their reveal, with links to their recent Highlight Hollywood articles. The other 5 will be revealed in April.
BEST IN COLORADO — COLORADO SPRINGS FINE ART CENTER.
“132,000 sq. ft… one of the only multi-discipline arts institutions… For nearly 100 years, the top cultural attraction of the Pikes Peak region… world’s finest art… extraordinary visceral experiences…”
BEST IN SOUTH DAKOTA — SOUTH DAKOTA ART MUSEUM.
“Since 1970… artistic legacy of South Dakota in all its diversity. Harvey Dunn, Native American art, Marghab Linens… 7,000 objects in its collection…”
BEST IN NEBRASKA — KIECHEL FINE ART.
“…few have the roster and esteem as Keichel… discerning eye… three story four gallery showplace… many of the top Midwestern Contemporary artists… ”
BEST IN SOUTH CAROLINA — MARY MARTIN GALLERY OF FINE ART.
“… excellence and steady expansion… museum quality art including bronze and stone sculptures, original oil and acrylic paintings, extraordinary watercolors… number one tourist destination in America… on par with Beverly Hill’s Rodeo Drive and NY’s Fifth Avenue…”
BEST IN KENTUCKY — E&S GALLERY.
“… professionalism, reputation, gallery space, exhibitions, artist roster and clientele … 11,000 square foot gallery, custom framing and art publishing… African American art with an unmatched selection of artists, medium, subject matter, and genres. … a premiere selection of original graphics and sculpture by renowned old master artists… ”
BEST IN INDIANA — GRUNWALD GALLERY OF ART.
“… thirty exhibits annually… collaborate with scientists and scholars to produce exhibits that interpret visual art in a broader scientific or humanities context… experimental or traditional… SEE FULL STORY HERE
BEST IN CALIFORNIA — EXCLUSIVE COLLECTIONS GALLERY.
“… professionalism, reputation, gallery space, red carpet events, trajectory, artist roster and clientele… Beverly Hills location… Laguna Beach location… two San Diego locations… the epitome of a contemporary gallery.” SEE FULL STORY HERE
BEST IN PENNSYLVANIA — JAMES A. MICHENER ART MUSEUM.
“… 40,000 square feet… world-class group of paintings… permanent collection of more than 2,800 objects… accredited world-class facility with a broad vision… diverse program of educational activities… Changing exhibitions… attract annually more than 135,000 visitors…”
BEST IN HAWAII — LIK LAHAINA, LIKE WAIKIKI.
“Peter Lik has 13 exceptional gallery locations throughout the word and is the most successful photographer in the world… sold upwards of $500 million of artwork… The 2014 sale of his B&W photo titled “Phantom” (a ghostlike shape at an Arizona canyon) for $6,500,000.00 is the highest sum ever paid in its genre. Astoundingly, Lik’s works make up four of the top 20 most expensive photographs ever sold.” SEE FULL STORY HERE
BEST IN NEVADA — NEVADA MUSEUM OF ART.
“…four-story structure… 2,500 works of 19th through 21st-century art… diversity of artists, techniques, visual styles, subjects, and ideological positions, unified by two basic principles: a concern for inspiring dialogue about the impact of human activity on natural environments, and an effort to depart from idealized notions of scenic beauty and pristine wilderness that were dominant in the early 20th century.”
BEST IN UTAH — UTAH MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART.
“…jewel of the region, the showplace of Salt Lake City and the epitome of a contemporary museum… an award-winning aesthetic force and community leader since it was established 85 years ago… four-time recipient of funding from the Andy Warhol Foundation and is also a 2015 recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts’ Art Works Grant Award.”
BEST IN IOWA — MOBERG GALLERY.
“… exceptional eye for contemporary masterpieces and represents 50 phenomenal Iowan artisans… procured work for museums, corporate collections, private collections and public art projects across the nation… sets the standard for modern art in the Midwest.” SEE FULL STORY HERE
BEST IN NEW JERSEY — EVALYN DUNN GALLERY.
“It is very rare to find a gallery so successful that it is approaching it’s 60th year… also features the finest 20th Century American and European art…” SEE FULL STORY HERE
BEST IN FLORIDA — ART FUSION GALLERIES.
“8,000 square foot… in the heart of Miami’s Wynwood Art District… preeminent gallery in Miami for integrating the best of Emerging to Mid-Career Contemporary artists… represents over 1,000… ” SEE FULL STORY HERE
BEST IN MINNESOTA — DOUBLETAKE GALLERY.
“…enormous international Internet presence, with millions of hits… LeRoy Neiman, Salvador Dali, Peter Max, Frederick Hart, Erte, Norman Rockwell… fine art consignment and brokerage service… multi-functional, innovative… essentially endless art options…” SEE FULL STORY HERE
BEST IN RHODE ISLAND — RISD MUSEUM.
“140 years… magnificent phenomenon, a remarkable achievement exhibiting 100,000 objects… Impressionist paintings, 20th- and 21st-century design, Gorham silver, Newport furniture, an ancient Egyptian mummy, 12th-century Buddha… Cézanne, Degas, Matisse, Manet, Picasso, Rothko, Sargent, Turner, van Gogh, Warhol…” SEE FULL STORY HERE
BEST IN MICHIGAN — ART LEADERS GALLERY.
“10,000 square foot show room… over 24 years they have earned an impeccable reputation and are one of the leading residential and corporate art dealers in the state.”
SEE FULL STORY HERE: COMING NEXT WEEK
BEST IN ILLINOIS — HILLIGOSS GALLERIES.
“For almost twenty years, Hilligoss has been Chicago’s Premier Art Gallery. The two-story 8,500 square foot gallery is the epitome of a well-oiled machine… perfect marriage of artist, collector and setting… original paintings by the world’s finest living artists, as well as fine prints by historic and 20th century masters.”
SEE FULL STORY HERE: COMING NEXT WEEK
BEST IN MAINE — FARNSWORTH ART MUSEUM.
“20,000 square feet… 15,000 works. For nearly seventy years, they have exhibited a nationally recognized collection of art from America’s greatest artists… Farnsworth’s library… Two historic buildings, the Farnsworth Homestead and the Olson House …complete the museum complex…”
SEE FULL STORY HERE: COMING NEXT WEEK
BEST IN OKLAHOMA — OKLAHOMA CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTER.
“…Nonprofit organization… encourages artistic expression… affordable arts programming and education… Oklahoma’s top artists… $26 million capital campaign for spectacular new facility just south of downtown OK…”
SEE FULL STORY HERE: COMING NEXT WEEK
About the <a href="http://www.filmfestivals.com/blog/spotlight_media_productions/entertainment_and_media_mogul_adrienne_papp_honored_for_her_international_writing_0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Author </a>of This Article: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriennepapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Adrienne Papp</a> is a recognized journalist, economist and feature writer, who has written for many publications including <a href="http://adriennepapp.com/pdf/violetfull.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Savoir</a>; <a href="http://westsidetoday.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Westside Today Publications</a> ; such as <a href="http://westsidetoday.com/2008/09/02/90210-is-back/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Beverly Hills 90210</a>; <a href="http://www.westsidetoday.com/malibu-beach/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Malibu Beach</a>; <a href="http://smmirror.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Santa Monica S</a>u<a href="http://smmirror.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">n</a>; <a href="http://www.beverlyhillstimesmagazine.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Beverly Hills Times</a>; <a href="http://westsidetoday.com/2008/06/03/brentwood-news/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Brentwood News</a>; <a href="http://westsidetoday.com/2014/09/22/bel-air-film-festival-announces-line/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bel-Air View</a><a href="https://spotlightmediaproductions.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/pic-62.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> ; </a><a href="http://www.celebritysociety.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Celebrity Society</a> ; <a href="https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=www.celebstaff.com,+Adrienne+Papp&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Celeb Staff </a>; <a href="http://www.itmagazine.net/home/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">It Magazine</a>; <a href="http://www.chictoday.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chic Today</a>; <a href="http://www.la2day.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">LA2DAY</a>; <a href="http://www.westsidetoday.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">West Side Today</a> among many others. She is the President and CEO of Los Angeles / New York-based publicity company, <a href="http://atlanticpublicity.biz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Atlantic Publicity</a> and publishing house, <a href="http://atlanticunitedpublicity.com/Articles.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Atlantic Publisher</a>. Adrienne writes about world trends, <a href="http://westsidetoday.com/2010/05/26/what-is-the-meaning-of-life/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Quantum Physics</a>, entertainment and interviews celebrities, world leaders, inventors, philanthropists and entrepreneurs. She also owns <a href="http://www.atlanticpublicity.biz/atlanticunitedfilm/index.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Atlantic United Films</a> that produces and finances true stories made for theatrical release or the silver screen. <a href="https://spotlightmediaproductions.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Spotlight News Magazine</a> is owned by <a href="http://atlanticpublicity.biz/default.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Atlantic Publicity</a> that just opened a new extension to it : <a href="http://www.publicitylosangeles.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">PublicityLosAngeles</a>. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2045364/externalsites?ref_=nmbio_sa_3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Adrienne Papp</a><a href="https://spotlightmediaproductions.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/pic-62.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> is a member of the </a><a href="http://www.satelliteawards.org/" target="_blank" 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She was knighted and became a Dame in 2010. Her official name is Lady Adrienne Papp and Dame Adrienne Papp. Voting Member of The International Press Academy and The Oscars: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She is the Managing Editorial Director of The Beverly Hills Times Magazine, and Hollywood Weekly. She has a Master of Science in Economics majoring Logistics; an MBA Degree; An International Law, Trade and Finance Postgraduate: Marketing and Advertising Postgraduate from NYU and UCLA. Guest Professor at Oxford University; Director and Producer of TV and Airline On Camera Editorials; <a href="http://www.adriennepappenterprises.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Adrienne Papp Enterprises </a>
The American Art Awards annually awards museums and galleries each spring, as well as 300 international artists in autumn, with critique from these museums and galleries.
BEST IN SOUTH CAROLINA — MARY MARTIN GALLERY OF FINE ART.
BEST IN CALIFORNIA — EXCLUSIVE COLLECTIONS GALLERY.
BEST IN NEVADA — NEVADA MUSEUM OF ART.
BEST IN NEW JERSEY — EVALYN DUNN GALLERY.
BEST IN RHODE ISLAND — RISD MUSEUM.
BEST IN MAINE — FARNSWORTH ART MUSEUM.
About the Author of This Article: Adrienne Papp is a recognized journalist, economist and feature writer, who has written for many publications including Savoir; The Westside Today Publications ; such as Beverly Hills 90210; Malibu Beach; Santa Monica Sun; The Beverly Hills Times; Brentwood News; Bel-Air View ; Celebrity Society ; Celeb Staff ; It Magazine; Chic Today; LA2DAY; West Side Today among many others. She is the President and CEO of Los Angeles / New York-based publicity company, Atlantic Publicity and publishing house, Atlantic Publisher. Adrienne writes about world trends, Quantum Physics, entertainment and interviews celebrities, world leaders, inventors, philanthropists and entrepreneurs. She also owns Atlantic United Films that produces and finances true stories made for theatrical release or the silver screen. Spotlight News Magazine is owned by Atlantic Publicity that just opened a new extension to it : PublicityLosAngeles. Adrienne Papp is a member of the International Press Academy.
