World’s Best Animal Photographers: PUHL, PARK, CHENNAULT, THORNTON, DRYGAS & MINN / 2024 AMERICAN ART AWARDS

Thom Bierdz
5 min readOct 26, 2024

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Artists from 64 countries competed in the 2024 AMERICAN ART AWARDS where 20 of the most revered galleries in the USA were sent online images to score in drawing, painting, sculpture, digital and photography. The 300+ winning works, 1st to 6th Place (and ties) in all 50 categories, will be featured in an upcoming movie and 75 articles.

See all winning images:

Art collectors can see the hundreds of winning artworks and corresponding contact info to the best contemporary artists in the world here: https://americanartawards.com/2024-winning-artists-american-art-awards/

The WINNERS in CATEGORY 41 represent USA, GERMANY & POLAND.

BIO OF 1ST PLACE WINNER: Jack Puhl

After a whirling escalation in corporate America, Jack Puhl walked away from his career in mergers and acquisitions after the events of 9/11. At that time, Jack was living in Washington DC and working in NYC. Giving away his suits and furniture, he grabbed one chair and headed to Chicago. It was in Chicago where Jack fell back on his artistic skills. Landing a contract with an art/greeting card company out of Manhattan (of course) Jack designed and hand painted multi-themed cards, internationally. From Chicago, Jack moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to paint bucolic landscapes as his growing career in fine art dictated. Jack’s art career progressed nicely, especially back in Chicago (of course). It was through his works at Leigh Gallery in Chicago where his fine art received its first American Art Award accolade in the early 2000’s.

Jumping ahead a few years, Jack began dabbling in simple photography. “I like photography for its quick fix of capturing a split second in time”. It’s very rewarding, artistically.

Lately, Jack Puhl’s photography has been awarded and published in various articles and magazines, such as Pennsylvania Magazine…and, gratefully, recognized by the exquisitely reputable American Art Awards. He still paints, but photography seems to quell immediate creative impulses.

Jack currently lives in the lake region of Northeastern Pennsylvania on his tiny farm, Little Chicken Farm, with his horse, chickens and a few mice in the attic.

CONTACT THE ARTISTS:

CATEGORY 41. NONMANIPULATED PHOTOGRAPHY — ANIMAL

1st Place JACK PUHL USA JackPuhl@gmail.com “Chickie” 11x14” Photography on canvas.

2nd Place — Tie ZOE PARK USA zparkunicorn2008@gmail.com “Flying Jellyfish” 17x14” Photography.

2nd Place — Tie LANCE CHENNAULT GERMANY https://lancechennaultphotography.darkroom.com/ “Highland Dreams” Photo.

3rd Place — Tie JACK PUHL USA JackPuhl@gmail.com “Super-Milo” 11x14” Photography.

3rd Place — Tie ROBIN THORNTON USA https://robinthorntonphotography.com/ “Preening Perfection” Photo.

4th Place — Tie LANCE CHENNAULT GERMANY https://lancechennaultphotography.darkroom.com/ “The Interaction” Photo.

4th Place — Tie RENATA DRYGAS POLAND https://art8.pl/ “Young Ostrich” Photography.

5th Place — Tie ROBIN THORNTON USA https://www.facebook.com/robin.thornton.50 “Looking For Berries” Photo.

5th Place — Tie TYLER MINN USA tylerminn@gmail.com “Puffins 1” Photography.

6th Place — Tie JACK PUHL USA JackPuhl@gmail.com “Mohegan Up Close” 16x20” Photography.

6th Place — Tie TYLER MINN USA tylerminn@gmail.com “Puffins 3” Photography.

In 2024, AMERICAN ART AWARDS had submissions from these 64 countries: Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, China, Congo Democratic Republic, Cyprus, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Korea (Republic, South), Lebanon, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Macedonia, Norway, Pakistan, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Tobago, Togo, Trinidad, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Vietnam, USA, Zambia.

American Art Awards 20 Best Galleries & Museums for 2024 (in alphabetical order by state) asked to score art:

BEST IN ARIZONA: Exposures International Gallery Of Fine Art

BEST IN COLORADO: Mirada Fine Art

BEST IN CONNECTICUT: Fairfield University Art Museum (FUAM)

BEST IN FLORIDA: MAC Art Galleries

BEST IN IDAHO: Capitol Contemporary Gallery

BEST IN ILLINOIS: Jackson Junge Gallery

BEST IN INDIANA: Kuaba Gallery

BEST IN KANSAS: 2010 Gallery

BEST IN LOUISIANA: GRYDER

BEST IN MINNESOTA: Kolman & Reeb Gallery

BEST IN MISSOURI: The Museum of Art and Archaeology

BEST IN NEW HAMPSHIRE: Candita Clayton Gallery

BEST IN NEW JERSEY: Evalyn Dunn Gallery

BEST IN NEW MEXICO: Thornwood Gallery

BEST IN NORTH CAROLINA: Ambleside Gallery

BEST IN PENNSYLVANIA: Morton Contemporary Art Gallery

BEST IN SOUTH CAROLINA: Mary Martin Galleries Of Fine Art

BEST IN UTAH: Modern West

BEST IN VERMONT: The Current

BEST IN WASHINGTON: ArtX Contemporary

American Art Awards https://www.americanartawards.com/ annually awards 20 museums and/or galleries, who agree to score art and award nearly 300+ deserving contemporary artists from 60+ countries: painters, photographers, sculptors and digital artists.

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Thom Bierdz
Thom Bierdz

Written by Thom Bierdz

One of Medium’s TOP ART CONTRIBUTORS, award-winning author, actor, film-maker, painter. 12 books: 6 on art. President of WAA & AAA & ACCA.

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