Wesley Dallas Merritt won Best of Show at the Lakeland Art Association's 22nd annual Spring Juried Art Show, held at the Lakeland Art Gallery in Warsaw, Indiana. The show featured 53 works by 19 artists from Fort Wayne, North Manchester, and surrounding counties, including paintings, photographs, metal sculptures, and ceramic works. Judge Andrew Tomasik, a Warsaw Community High School visual arts teacher, also awarded first place to Brenda Stichter, second place to Merritt, and third place to Sherri Johnson, along with six honorable mentions.
This annual community exhibition highlights the vitality of local visual arts in rural Indiana, providing a platform for emerging and established regional artists. The Lakeland Art Association's ongoing programming—including free monthly art programs, life drawing sessions, and rotating exhibits—demonstrates how small-town galleries sustain cultural engagement and support for the arts outside major metropolitan centers.