Topeka, KS -- (ReleaseWire) -- 06/26/2006 --PaintAmerica, (www.PaintAmerica.org), a non-profit organization to support and promote the visual arts, has announced a panel of nationally recognized jurors for their PaintAmerica Top100 Art Competition. In its inaugural year, the PaintAmerica Top100 is rapidly becoming one of the nations leading artists’ competitions.

Executive Director Rod Seel announced the panel on Friday, June 23rd. “We are extremely pleased to have assembled a jury panel with such incredible credentials. We have three signature artists, representing various parts of the country, and virtually every artists’ medium.” The panel consists of Catherine Anderson AWS of Maine, Russ Tanner OPA from Colorado, and Ernst Ulmer MFA of Kansas.

Catherine Anderson, AWS (www.catherineanderson.net?) has been a painter for over 35 years. Anderson attended the Chicago Academy of Fine Art, University of Cincinnati and Academy of Art College in San Francisco. She has received numerous awards from top art organizations in the United States. She is a Signature Member of the American Watercolor Society, National Watercolor Society, California Watercolor Association, Knickerbocker Artists, Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Society, Midwest Watercolor Society and Watercolor West.

Russ Tanner, OPA (www.russtannerstudio.com?) is one of the premiere landscape artists of the West. Tanner has a degree from The American Academy of Art in Chicago, and studied at the Kansas City Art Institute. He has been voted a signature member of OPA. He was juried a Top 100 finalist for the 2002 Art for the Parks Painting Competition and his paintings have been acclaimed by both collectors and art critics. He exhibits in national and regional shows, and his work can be seen in major galleries in New Mexico, Wyoming, Texas and Utah and in national and international corporate and private collections.

Ernst Ulmer, MFA (www.ernstulmer.com?) earned his M.F.A. from the Kansas City Art Institute, worked as a commercial illustrator until the late 70's, and finally surrendered to full-time painting. Highly versatile, Ulmer is comfortable in the use of oil, watercolor, acrylic, pastel, and graphite pencil. His paintings and murals are prized by private and corporate collectors worldwide. He has received many awards for his work, including the prestigious first place award, American in Paris, for pastel, presented to him by the Salon International du Pastel, Compeigne, France. He is a founder and president of the Heartland Pastel Society and a signature member of the Degas Pastel Society of New Orleans, Louisana and the Kansas Watercolor Society. Ulmer most recently was awarded the Kansas Governor’s Arts Award.

PaintAmerica was established to support and promote the arts, with a goal of providing scholarship and education opportunities for young artists, as well as providing a premiere, national venue for local and regional artists to showcase their talent beside some of the nation’s best established artists. “The Top100 Competition format not only rewards artists with great potential for sales of their work, it also encourages them with recognition and awareness through state level gallery exhibits,” stated Seel. “Showcasing the beauty and qualities of every state of America as seen through the eyes of its artists is another benefit of the program.”

The unique format of the competition asks artists to create artworks that depict a particular state of their choosing. Art can be landscape, cityscape, nature, wildlife, or anything topical to that state. The artist enters their paintings at the state level, with 50 winners chosen within each state. Then, two winners from each state are chosen by a national jury panel to automatically progress to the National Top100. Along the way, the Top50 in each state are included in gallery and online exhibits, with excellent chances of earning a purchase award or other prizes. The Grand Prize winner will earn a $5,000 purchase award, plus a cash prize. Dozens of purchase awards, cash prizes and other awards are available, and more are still being secured. Full details and entry forms are available at www.PaintAmerica.org The final contest entry deadline is August 1, 2006. Galleries interested in exhibiting the Top50 in each state, or the National Top100 should contact PaintAmerica at mail@PaintAmerica.org