Memorial Art Award Given

ZANESVILLE, Ohio-Mary Ann and Ron Bucci give an award to local artists each fall in memory of their daughter. 

Their daughter, Ronna, was a painter and writer who died in 1998 after battling depression. The award is named after her and Dr. Charles Dietz, who appreciated her work.

“We decided to make it in her name and in Dr. Dietz name who was a curator of the museum of art here for years and years and so well known in the art community. He did not know our daughter Ronna but he just felt a connection with her and ended up writing a poem in her memory.”, Mary Ann told WHIZ of Dietz.

The monetary award is funded by donors from the local art communities. This year’s recipient of the main award was J.D. Dunlap, an area pop artist, tattoo parlour owner and truck driver. 

“The artist that we awarded the main scholarship this year, he has three jobs, and he’s tried to make a living. He has a family, a wife and three children, so we thought him very worthy, not only because of his art but the selection committee thought him very worthy of this award.”, Bucci said of Dunlap.

Three recipients of smaller prizes were local artists Morgan Langsdorf, Jana Pryor, and Diana Wilson.