2009 Best Visual Artist
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40.75% Terry Ratliff*
Others with Votes (more than one):
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With his ninth Whammy for Visual Artist of the Year, Terry Ratliff can finally build the nonagon he's always wanted. The 44-year-old Fort Wayne native has been collecting Whammy awards as best visual artist since the category's debut in 1999. Ratliff won that year and went on a seven-year run before being edged out the past two years. Sure, he could have settled for a Whammy octagon, but everybody has one of those. And Terry Ratliff isn't like everybody else.
"I was really happy to see other types of artists win the last two years," Ratliff said.
Matt Kelley, a graphic artist, won last year and Donny Manco, for his work as a tattoo artist, had the distinction of ending Ratliff's streak two years ago.
Fending off the depression that surely followed his Whammy break, Ratliff bravely forged ahead doing what he does best. After a few days of that, he went back to painting.
Ratliff is not only an accomplished painter, he is a savvy business man. He is a brand: Rat aRt. He has his studio and gallery in a building he purchased at 1029 W. Jefferson a few years back. And his website, www.ratart.biz, is a paean to design. It is simple, concise and informative.
Ratliff's big coup came a few years ago when the Casa family of restaurants commissioned murals and paintings for their dining rooms. That exposure gave Ratliff the opportunity to expand his range and widen his reach. Commissions from the Fort Wayne International Airport and a client in Miami, among many others, have helped make Ratliff one of the local artists to own.
"What I really enjoy now is seeing my work hanging in people's homes and businesses," Ratliff said. "It means a lot to have my art appreciated and in demand." (Mark Hunter) |
* On the ballot
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