WARREN — Trumbull Art Gallery opens its 56th TAG Annual on Saturday

More than 200 works were submitted for consideration. Juror Robyn Maas, an artist and art museum professional, selected 111 pieces by 80 artists to show at TAG through Oct. 21.

“Overall, I was very impressed with most of the work, very spot-on,” Maas said. “There is a lot of realism as opposed to more abstract work. Coming out of a more academic environment — I worked at the McDonough (Museum of Art in Youngstown) for 17 1/2 years — that was interesting. But it was a pleasure to see a more realistic approach to things, using a lot of different media.”

Maas remembered taking art classes at TAG when she was a young girl.

“I’ve been affiliated with TAG since childhood,” she said. “I’ve never juried a show there before, and it was a pleasure to be a part of.”

Instead of selecting a best in show piece and ranked award winners, Maas picked 10 artists for juror awards of equal value: Mary Lou Alexander, Jacquelyn Bader, Diane Beatty, Sharon Dundee, George Kocar, Julie Martin, Stephanie Sferra, LP Snowe II, Gail Trunick and Linda Vasconi.

“It’s kind of hard to describe (what makes a juror award winner),” Maas said. “The craftsmanship, the subject matter, all those things. Mary Lou Alexander has a quilt piece that uses a very interesting technique with little squares coming off of the quilt. She’s been in national, international magazines with these quilts. And Gail Trunick has a sculpture, I think it’s called ‘Nuns with Guns,’ that’s hilarious. There’s a lot of talent here.”

Also selected for the show are Dick Adler, Brenda Armstrong, Elizabeth Barrickman, Andy Bednar, Suzanne Brown, Dana Catoline, Margaret Chiarella, Scott Chopko, Michele Coe, Darrin J. Cook, Joy Cotton, Lisa Curry, Cheryl Eddie Deibel, Denise DiLellio, Marie Dippolito, Karen Fetchko, Dale W. Fishbeck, Karen L Fisher, Lisa Frederick, Karen Fry, Lauren Gintert, Jeanie Gordon, Sara Lee Grandelis, Deborah Hills-Haney

James Hardy, Millie Hawkins, Gary Herdman, Carolyn Dixon Hrusovsky, Kim Hunter, Kathryn Infante, Susan Jacobs, John Johnson, Jenny Koupiaris, Salli Kowalski, Ron Krygowski, Maria V. Latorre, Leanne Lee, Ann Madej, Ken Marshall, Nancy McLean, Jane Morris, Rebecca Nan, George Nelson, Karen Nelson, Jody Neugebauer, Dana Nicholson, Jody Nudell, Jean Nye

Lia Ploumbis, Terry Polonsky, Lynne Provance, Yasmin Rashid, Karen Renier, Ann Ryser, Susan Senvissky, Penelope Senyak, Thomas Sewickley, Elise McKeown Skolnick, Kathryn Sowecke, Ellie Steines, Janice Stevens , Romina Batino Stiffler, Lana Vanauker, Jacqueline Vouvounas, Pete Vouvounas, Katherine Williamson, Barbara Yoxall and Tulla Zambetis.

More than 50 works not chosen for the annual will be displayed as part of the Salon des Refuses exhibition at the Nissen Gallery at Trumbull Regional Medical Center in Warren.

“That’s a really good show too,” TAG Gallery Director William Mullane said. “When you have more than 200 entries, there isn’t room for everything.”

Maas agreed with that assessment. She said she tried to pick works that fit well together, that created the best overall exhibition, even if that meant leaving out works she liked.

“With artists who submitted multiple pieces, I chose work that I thought would look better as a whole group,” she said. “There was one collage piece by Sharon Dundee that I really liked and thought was framed really nicely, but I thought the other two Sharon Dundees might work better with the show … Everyone got one piece in. Some got two. Very few got all three.”

Shown alongside the TAG Annual will be some of the juror’s work.

“I thought it was a little weird (when Mullane suggested it), but it puts my work in context for people and they can see where I’m coming from,” Maas said. “I think it’s an interesting idea. I’ve never been asked to do that.”

Also on display at TAG is an exhibition and sale featuring the work of Alice Tomko. The Warren artist was an active member of TAG, Trumbull Area Artists and rt company (a group of local women artists) until deteriorating health sent her to a long-term care facility.

Her favorite subject matter is abstract landscapes, using a minimalistic approach.

If you go …

WHAT: 56th TAG Annual

WHEN: Saturday through Oct. 21, with opening reception 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday. Hours are noon to 4 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays

WHERE: Trumbull Art Gallery, 158 N. Park Ave., Warren

HOW MUCH: Admission is free. For more information go to www.trumbullartgallery.com or call 330-395-4876.