2020’S BEST ABSTRACT ARTISTS NAMED BY 25 GALLERIES:

8 min readOct 2, 2020

MICHEL POIRIER, HILARY WINFIELD, CHANTAL LEBLANC, ANQI TAO, STEPHANIE HOLZNECHT, DIVNA PESIC GROZDANOV, YANA ANDRE, STEVE LYONS, SITTIPHON LOCHAISONG,
ALEX ALIMOHAMMADI, STEVEN LONG, LARRY WOLF, DAVID JOSEPH, JOHN KOTOS

Painters, photographers, sculptors and digital artists from 62 countries competed in the most prestigious online art call, AMERICAN ART AWARDS, https://www.americanartawards.com/, where America’s 25 best galleries and museums score art in 50 categories. In this column, I’ll reveal the world’s best contemporary artists of 2020 one category at a time.

Category 6 winners are from Canada, USA, Macedonia, Russia and Thailand.

BIO OF FIRST PLACE WINNER:

Michel Poirier

Place of birth: Montreal (1952) Québec, Canada

Mr. Poirier’s professional life has been shared by the world of education as an educator and co-author of educational books, as well as in the world of the arts, as an artist-painter, musician, sound technician and director-designer of video clips.

AS PAINTER: Michel Poirier quickly feels the call of painting when he sees his father painting.

STUDIES AND DEGREES :

Student since 2019 in Visual and Media Arts at the University of Quebec in Montreal (Canada).
Holds a Bachelor’s degree in teaching since 1984 from the University of Québec in Montreal (Canada). (Bio continued below.)

Each May the American Art Awards organization selects the 25 Best Galleries and Museums in America, then in autumn these revered art institutions vote on online art to decide the world’s best contemporary artists.

Last month America’s 25 Best Galleries scored almost 2,000 works in 50 categories from 62 countries: Afghanistan, Armenia, Australia, Bangladesh, Belarus, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Haiti, Hong Kong, India, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Republic Of Korea, Romania, Russia, South Korea, Serbia, Singapore, Spain, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Uganda, UK, Ukraine, USA, Venezuela, Zimbabwe.

COLLECTORS wanting to acquire these pieces or contact the artists can get direct links here: https://www.americanartawards.com/2020-winning-art/

Enter here: https://www.americanartawards.com/register-to-enter-3/

CONTACTS FOR CATEGORY 6. ABSTRACT

1ST PLACE MICHEL POIRIER CANADA http://mpoirier.info
“Quest Of Authenticity” 48x144” Acrylic on canvas.

2ND PLACE-TIE HILARY WINFIELD USA www.hilarywinfield.com
“Dimension 44” 30x30″ Acrylic on canvas.

2ND PLACE-TIE CHANTAL LEBLANC CANADA www.chantalleblancartiste.com “L’ Ingénue” 40x40" Mixed media, canvas.

3RD PLACE-TIE ANQI TAO CHINA 654370750@qq.com
“Unbounded·Free” 100x100cm Acrylic.

3RD PLACE-TIE STEPHANIE HOLZNECHT USA www.sholznecht.com “Karma" 40x30” Acrylic, tempera, fluid acrylic and latex paint on canvas.

4TH PLACE-TIE DIVNA PESIC GROZDANOV MACEDONIA/USA www.divnapesic.com “MacedonUtopia” 48x24" Oil on canvas.

4TH PLACE-TIE YANA ANDRE RUSSIA https://www.artavita.com/artists/18141-yana-andre “Geometric Abstract” 60x80cm Acrylic on canvas board.

4TH PLACE-TIE STEVE LYONS USA https://stevelyonsart.com/
“Faces In The Crowd” 48x36” Poured resin and acrylic on canvas.

5TH PLACE-TIE SITTIPHON LOCHAISONG THAILAND https://artistbomb.wixsite.com/artist/home “Fizz” 180x120cm Tempera powder on canvas.

5TH PLACE-TIE ALEX ALIMOHAMMADI USA https://kr4design.com ”Reflection” 16x20" Oil.

6TH PLACE-TIE STEVEN LONG USA www.stevenlongart.com “The Arrival” 24x24" Acrylic on canvas.

6TH PLACE-TIE LARRY WOLF USA https://www.abrushwiththelaw.com “From Shoreline To Shoreline” 24x24" Acrylic through back of silkscreen.

6TH PLACE-TIE DAVID JOSEPH USA Davidmjoseph.com
“Composition In Tones #5” 24x64” Oil on linen.

6TH PLACE-TIE JOHN KOTOS USA https://etsy.me/2JSz8BU kotojt8@gmail.com “Evolve” 24x60” Acrylic paint, hardened brushes, scraper, canvas.

100 ARTICLES and 50 VIDEOS on the 50 CATEGORIES of the 2020 AMERICAN ART AWARDS WINNING ARTISTS will be at this link: https://www.americanartawards.com/press-on-2020-artists/

American Art Awards 25 Best Galleries & Museums for 2020, in alphabetical order of state, who were asked to vote on this year’s art submissions:

Arizona / EXPOSURES INTERNATIONAL GALLERY OF FINE ART

California / CODA GALLERY

Colorado / CLYFFORD STILL MUSEUM

Delaware / THE DELAWARE CONTEMPORARY

Florida / MAC ART GALLERIES

Georgia / WESTOBOU GALLERY

Illinois / KOMECHAK ART GALLERY

Louisiana / ARTHUR ROGER GALLERY

Kansas / EVA REYNOLDS FINE ARTS

Maine / PORTLAND MUSEUM OF ART

Massachusetts / QUIDLEY & COMPANY

Missouri / KEMPER MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART

Nebraska / KIECHEL FINE ART

New Hampshire / ROCHESTER MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS

New Jersey / EVALYN DUNN GALLERY

New Mexico / ANDERSON MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART

Ohio / DAYTON ART SOLUTIONS

Oregon / ROGER YOST BAY STREET GALLERY

Philadelphia / PHILAMOCA

South Carolina / MARY MARTIN GALLERIES OF FINE ART

South Dakota / SOUTH DAKOTA ART MUSEUM

Utah / LOGAN FINE ART GALLERY

Virginia / LAZARE GALLERY

West Virginia / PARKERSBURG ART CENTER

Wisconsin / THE MADISON MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART

MICHEL POIRIER’S BIO CONTINUED:

EXHIBITIONS AND SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS

· 2020: Selected by “Barrett Art Center” (Poughkeepsie, NY) to present the work “Beyond” at the “New Directions 2020”, exhibition which will take place from October 10 to November 14, 2020.

· 2019: Michel Poirier’s work “Quest of Authenticity” has been selected for an honorable mention award in the “Artist of the Year Award 2019”, organised by “Circle Foundation for the Arts”.

· 2019: Duo exhibition at the House of Culture of Armand-Vaillancourt (Saint-André de Kamourska, Québec, Canada).

· 2019: One of the winners of the “London International Creative Competition”.

· 2019: Exhibition of the winners of the “F. The Art World International 2019” contest at the Unarthodox gallery (Chelsea, Manhattan, New York).

· 2019: One of the winners of the “F The World International 2019 Competition”.

· 2019: Special Recognition by “Light Space Time” (abstract Art Online Exhibition).

· 2018: Collective exhibition at gallery Viviana Puello in Manhattan, New York.

· 2018: Collective exhibition organized by “Conception Arts” in Manhattan, New York.

· 2018: Duo exhibition at the House of Culture of Sainte-Anne-des-Monts (Québec, Canada).

· 2015: Duo exhibition at the Art Gallery mp tresart in Durham-South (Québec, Canada).

· 2004: Duo exhibition at the 3D Art Gallery in Saint-Hyacinthe (Québec, Canada).

· 2001: Collective exhibition at the Brancusi Cultural Center “Cercle des Artistes Peintres et Sculpteurs du Québec” (Circle of Painters and Sculptors Artists of Quebec, C.A.P.S.Q.), Montréal (Québec, Canada).

2001: Collective exhibition at Maison Amérindienne of Mont-Saint-Hilaire (Québec, Canada).
1999: Solo exhibition at the Les 3D Gallery in Saint-Hyacinthe (Québec, Canada).
1997: Collective exhibition at Bonsecours Market (C.A.P.S.Q.), Montreal (Québec, Canada).

· 1993: Collective exhibition at the Leonardo da Vinci Art gallery, Sainte-Julie (Québec, Canada).

· 1993: Collective exhibition at the Guy-Favreau Complex (C.A.P.S.Q.) in Montreal (Québec, Canada).

· 1992: Collective exhibition (C.A.P.S.Q.) at the Montreal-Dorval International Airport (Québec, Canada).

· 1990: Solo exhibition at the framing shop of the painter Marcelin Dufour in Beloeil (Québec, Canada).

· SPORADIC EXHIBITIONS: Benefit evenings organized by various organizations, in connection with donations of canvases: “Maison de Jonathan” (Jonathan’s House, Longueuil City), “Parrainage civique de Saint-Hyacinthe” (Civic Sponsorship, Saint-Hyacinthe City), “Les Amis-Soleil” (leisure activities adapted to people with developmental problem, Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville City), “L’association des parents des enfants handicapés de Saint-Hyacinthe” (Parent`s Association Handicapped Children, Saint-Hyacinthe City), etc.

GALLERY

· 2019: Unarthodox Gallery in Chelsea, Manhattan, New York.

· 2018: Viviana Puello Gallery in Manhattan, New York.

· 2018: Le HangArt Gallery (Montréal, Québec, Canada)

· 2015: mp tresart Gallery (Durham-Sud, Québec, Canada)

· 1999 to 2005: 3D Gallery (Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada)

· 1993: Léonard de Vinci Gallery (Sainte-Julie, Québec, Canada)

PUBLICATION IN SPECIALIST ARTS BOOKS

· 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2005: « Guide de Roussan » by Marc de Roussan (Québec, Canada).

· 1993: «Guide Valley, édition III » by Félix Valley editeur (Québec, Canada).

· 1990: Book « 200 visions nouvelles de peintre du Québec » by Louis Bruens (Québec, Canada).

NEWSPAPER ARTICLES