Award Winners
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR 2026 FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS!
INFORMATION ABOUT LAST YEAR'S WINNERS:
JUDGES STATEMENT
“To the Winter Park Arts Festival committee, thank you. It has been an honor serving as a judge for this year’s 67th Festival.
To the artists participating in this remarkable gathering, thank you.
Please know that you were not the only ones selected to be here. Cheryl, Thom, and I, like you, were also chosen—entrusted to bring our expertise, our discernment, and our care to this process. And while our task may have seemed simple—to choose the best of the best—it was anything but.
For sixty-seven years, this festival has showcased one-of-a-kind artwork from individuals who place a piece of their souls on display. That truth was evident in every booth, every conversation, every detail. This honor is yours.
As a visual artist, I understand what it means to be chosen—and what it means to be overlooked. I know the feeling of pouring fire into the work and hearing only silence in return. So I do not take this role lightly. None of us does. This moment—this act of seeing—matters.
What spoke to us first was not your name, nor your story. It was your work. Your voice. Your risk. Your devotion. We encountered your souls in clay, glass, paint, fiber, metal, and beyond. And through that, we met you.
To those receiving awards, congratulations. Your work moved us, challenged us, and stayed with us.
And to every artist here: your presence matters. Your work matters. This festival is stronger because of your willingness to show up, to share, and to be seen. None of this would have been possible for sixty-seven years, without the Winter Park all-volunteer committee, they have proven that when a community commits to art, it creates space not only for beauty, but for connection, reflection, and lasting impact.
With deep respect and gratitude,
Thank you for trusting us with your work.”
– Gina Washington, 2026 Festival Judge
2026 Award Winners
BEST OF SHOW
"Awaiting Her Call"
Painting by Chris Roll
EDYTH BUSH CHARITABLE FOUNDATION ART OF PHILANTHROPY AWARD
"Love it or Lose it"
Mixed Media 2D by Kristin Thorsen
MORSE MUSEUM AWARD
"Sweet Grass Bucket"
Fiber by Janvier Ngamije
MONTE LIVERMORE CELEBRATION OF NATURE AWARD
"Fire Glow"
Printmaking by Douglas Piper
ABOUT BEST IN SHOW ARTIST, HERNAN RODRIGUEZ
Born in Güines, Havana, Cuba in 1982, Hernan Rodriguez is a self-taught contemporary landscape painter with humble beginnings in the countryside. Surrounded by unique and exotic landscapes, Rodriguez discovered early on that painting would be his lifelong passion. Using the landscape of his hometown in Cuba as the prime motive and model behind his works, the artist garnered the attention of Raul Perdomo, a renowned Cuban landscape painter, and eventually became his apprentice. He later traveled to Miami, where he currently lives and works.
In this new city and surroundings, Rodriguez’s landscapes have become memories of his mother country. Showing impressive maturity and pictorial skill, his style demonstrates a simple approach to nature as the artist invites us into his world for a constant reflection between man and earth. Through an epic representation of the land and with an intense pigmentation, The artist has developed his own unique style of landscape, one within the style of traditional realism.
“Taking the Backroad” by Wonda Granville is a remarkable piece that beautifully encapsulates the spirit of philanthropy through its artistic expression. The blend of realism and abstraction in the artwork seems to evoke a strong sense of history and emotion, resonating with the themes of love and humanity.
The Heart of Florida United Way’s film “Know Your Place” appears to have been a significant influence on the selection of this piece for the “Art of Philanthropy Award.” The film’s focus on personal stories of racism, segregation, and bias in Central Florida’s history aligns with the artwork’s reflection on the state’s past and the ongoing journey towards a better future.
Wonda Granville’s journey from being an emerging artist at the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival, to being honored with this award, is truly inspiring. Her story is a testament to the impact that art can have in both representing and fostering a love for humanity. “Taking the Backroads” will be featured in The Edyth, the headquarters of the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation. The Edyth, with its inspiring architectural designs and spaces for community gathering, will provide an excellent backdrop for Granville’s work, allowing visitors to appreciate the art in a space dedicated to the love of mankind. It’s a beautiful synergy between the artwork and the venue, both of which celebrate the rich history and philanthropic spirit of Winter Park, Florida.
– David A.Odahowski, President & CEO
ABOUT THIS YEAR'S WINNERS
Best of Show Award
Chris Roll
Awaiting Her Call
Painting
Selecting a Best of Show winner at the 67th Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival is no small task. When you’re surrounded by this level of talent, the line between exceptional and unforgettable gets very thin. Every judge feels that weight. Every decision matters.
But every so often, a piece cuts through.
A piece that doesn’t just hold your attention—it pulls you in and keeps you there.
This year’s Best of Show did exactly that.
The painting Awaiting Her Call by Chris Roll is commanding from the first glance. It’s confident. It’s deliberate. And it’s emotionally charged in a way that feels immediate and personal.
There’s tension in the stillness. The subtle movement of the fan. The atmosphere feels thick—almost cinematic—like a moment suspended in time. It brings to mind that same quiet intensity you feel in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof… heat, anticipation, and something unspoken hanging in the air.
And what struck me most—what made this painting impossible to walk away from—was this:
It made me feel like I was the one he was waiting for.Like I was the one who hadn’t called yet.
That’s the power of this work. It doesn’t just tell a story. It places you inside of it.A bold, unforgettable painting.
– Cheryl Strichik, 2026 Festival Judgequote>
Edyth Bush Art of Philanthropy Award
Kristin Thorsen
Love it or Lose it
Mixed Media 2D
Morse Museum Award
Janvier Ngamije
Sweet Grass Bucket
Fiber
In the spirit of the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum, which celebrates artistry rooted in both beauty and craftsmanship, Janvier Ngamije’s Sweet Grass Basket/open platter is exemplary in meeting these criteria with the addition of sustaining a time-honored making heritage. We are so pleased to recognize her extremely well made and designed contribution and to present her with this award.
– Thomas Brewer, 2026 Festival Judge
Monte Livermore Celebration of Nature Award
Douglas Piper
Fire Glow
Printmaking
Monte Livermore was everything to this festival: board member, co-president, and patron. You could not ask for someone more dedicated to the arts—and equally devoted to nature. As a horticulturist and nursery owner, he understood the care it takes to nurture a seed, cultivate the land, and tend it with intention.
His loved ones created this award to carry that same spirit forward. They envisioned Monte’s energy extending beyond the physical—reminding us all of the responsibility to nourish both the earth and the artist.
The selected work embodies this ethos fully. What better way to honor nature than by using one’s own hands to carve its story?We present the Monte Livermore Celebration Award to Douglas Piper for Fire-Glow—an unflinching depiction of terror and hope, of destruction and renewal. It is both a warning and a promise, honoring the earth while urging us, with quiet insistence, to care for what remains and what comes next.