Jury Panel for Professional Artists
Our hand-selected jury panel of artists and art experts select artists who have demonstrated work fitting to participate in the Professional Artist category for the main plein air painting competition.
Meredith Giltner
Meredith Giltner is a Michigan-based artist educator who specializes in photography and painting. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan with a BFA in Photography and a BA in Cultural Anthropology, a Post Bach teaching certificate from Eastern Michigan University, and most recently received her Master’s in Art Education from Boston University. She is also the former Vice President of the Michigan Art Education Association (2020-2024), member of the National Art Education Association School for Art Leaders cohort 2021, and has sat on local and state committees for judging artwork. Giltner own work uses long exposure photography, embroidery and painting to enhance the layers of stories embedded in her work. Giltner asks viewers to engage with the images and use their experiences and emotions to connect with each piece on some level. She teaches her students to become art appreciators and artists with a wide range of classes including Open Studio, AP Art History, Digital Photography 1 & 2, and Graphic Design 1 & 2. Her latest work can be seen at https://bu.digication.com/
Steve Feinman
Steve presently provides Art Advisory, Art Marketing, and strategic marketing service to small businesses. Steve is active in Rotary and is past president of the Rotary Club of Dexter Michigan.
Steve was the District Director for SCORE District from 2010 to March 2017. Steve is a mentor offers face-to-face mentoring in the Ann Arbor Chapter of SCORE . His areas of interest include fine art marketing, strategic marketing and sales government contracting, heavy and specialty construction.
In 2015, Steve was named Small Business Counselor of the Year by the SBA Michigan District Office.
Steve has been an avid interest in fine arts and literature. He has been active in the fine arts community in Philadelphia, Maryland, and New Orleans. His specialty is art industry economics and policy.
Roger Sprau
Roger Sprau is an experienced art educator currently in his third year of teaching at Dexter High School. He teaches Foundations of Art, Illustration, and Ceramics, bringing over a decade of teaching experience to his students. Throughout his career, Roger has taught at high schools in Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, and Edmore, earning a reputation for his expertise in ceramics and graphic design. Additionally, he is highly skilled in watercolor painting, oil painting, and drawing.
Beyond his contributions to art education, Roger is an accomplished guitarist and songwriter, actively performing with the rock band Januzzi Watchmen. His diverse artistic talents and passion for both visual and musical arts inspire his students to explore their creativity and pursue their artistic ambitions.