The Fishers Municipal Center was filled with creativity and celebration Friday evening, Sept. 12, as the Fishers Arts Council hosted the sixth annual Juried Exhibit of Hamilton County Artists awards ceremony.
The exhibit, which runs through Sept. 27, features works by 57 local artists selected by juror Carl Schafer of Muncie. For the sixth year, Jiffy Lube of Indiana served as the event’s title sponsor, with District Manager John Rucker on hand to welcome artists and guests. Noblesville Creates returned as sponsor of the People’s Choice award, presented by Artist Liaison J.C. Seig.
The evening’s top honor, Best in Show, went to Fishers resident Aparna Bhave for her mixed media portrait A Dreamer. She received a $1,000 prize and a solo exhibit in 2026. Schafer praised the work as “thoughtful and insightful,” describing the subject as “a person in transition” whose choice of dreams could reshape how she views the world.
Other top awards, each carrying a $600 prize, included:
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Best Landscape: Chasing the Sun by Amy Ruddy of Westfield (sponsored by Wasson Nursery).
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Best Portrait/Figurative: Into the Light by Casey Williams of McCordsville.
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Best Floral/Other: Ode to Sweden by Eileen Allen of McCordsville (sponsored by Renewal by Andersen).
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Best Abstract: Daylight by Liz Hamstra of Fishers.
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Best 3D: Metalnoma by Victoria Winemiller of Fishers, a new category introduced this year and sponsored by Noblesville Creates.
The addition of three-dimensional works was made possible through a partnership with the Fishers Art Center, located inside the Municipal Center and operated jointly by the City of Fishers and Indy Art Center in Broad Ripple. Indy Art Center Vice President of Events and Exhibitions Shannon Bennett, along with Exhibition Manager Alex Moore and his team, worked closely with the Fishers Arts Council to stage the expanded show.
The People’s Choice award, determined by votes cast in person and online, went to Fishers artist Asma Siddiqui for her textured acrylic and mixed media piece The Ocean’s Breath. She received a $250 prize.
Most of the winning works, along with many other pieces in the exhibit, are available for purchase. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturdays during the Fishers Farmers’ Market from 10 a.m. to noon. Visitors can also explore the show virtually at Facebook.com/FishersArt.
