2005 Best Visual Artist
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36.17% Terry Ratliff*
Others with Votes (more than one):
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Ratliff was voted Best Visual Artist for the seventh straight year -- every year, in fact, that the category has existed - edging out Mee Kyung Shim and Tim Brumbeloe, his two favorite artists. This repeated public lauding says as much about Ratliff’s skill at running a business as it does about his skill at running a paintbrush. Between gobbling grilled tuna sandwiches and quaffing pewter goblets of red wine, Ratliff has managed to endear himself to owners of popular local restaurants, civic leaders and the editors of a regional business periodical. Okay, so I don’t know if he "gobbles" sandwiches or "quaffs" red wine from goblets. But if Ratliff’s gusto for life extends to his eating and drinking habits as it imbues his art, gobbling and quaffing come into play at some point, I am sure. Ratliff turned 40 a few weeks ago. Something happens to a man when he turns 40, and I am not talking about eye or bladder failure, though these surely play an increasingly annoying role. For Ratliff, turning 40 means he is no longer eligible for inclusion in the Future 40 Awards, the annual Fort Wayne Business Journal nod to yuppies (for want of a better term) whose business acumen and community service warrant special notice. "I managed to slip under the gate because they only accept nominations for people under the age of 40," Ratliff said. Well, Terry, the Whammy has no such barriers. It is not age-averse. Even if it were it is doubtful the keepers of the tally sheet could ignore your fans’ votes or the impact your art has on the community. From the enormous mural at Fort Wayne International Airport to the pieces that have adorned the walls of places like Casa Grille and Henry’s, to the countless gallery shows and work for local theater groups, the AIDS Coalition and March of Dimes, Ratliff exhibits a focus not only on the canvas in front of him but the wide world around him. After 16 years as a professional painter, Ratliff has earned his place in the community and in the esteem of whatzup readers. And he’s got a wall of Whammys to prove it |
* On the ballot
Copyright 2006 Ad Media Inc.
What to do with yet another Whammy? Hang it
on the wall, of course. In Terry Ratliff’s case,
it had better be a big wall.