47th Annual Exhibition & Sale

OUR 2025 JUDGE

Lori Putnam

Recognized for her expressive brushwork, contemporary compositions, and intelligent use of color, Nashville, Tennessee native Lori Putnam paints small to medium sized works in plein air and creates large paintings in her studio. Having painted and taught in more than 30 different countries (including Ukraine, New Zealand, Guatemala, much of Europe, and the UK), she believes that works created from life help her maintain freshness in her studio paintings. 

Ms. Putnam’s paintings have been featured in numerous prominent art magazines, such as Western Art Collector, American Art Collector Magazine, Plein Air Magazine, Southwest Art, Fine Art Connoisseur, and Art of the West. In addition, she is a member of many respected organizations, including the Salmagundi Club in New York City, the Oil Painters of America, the Portrait Society of America, the National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, American Women Artists, and the California Art Club. Her paintings have received top awards in exhibitions associated with these organizations and dozens of invitational events and exhibitions.

Museums, including The Tucson Museum of Art, The Brinton Museum in Big Horn, Wyoming, The Hockaday Museum of Art in Kalispell, Montana, Custom’s House Museum, Clarksville, Tennessee, The High Museum in Atlanta, Georgia, the Irvine Museum in California, and The Academy Art Museum in Easton, Maryland have sought out Putnam’s works for awards, exhibitions, and permanent collection.  

In 2019, she accepted an appointment as Vice President of Art Ambassador for A Colorful World and travels often to work with children in less advantaged areas. These experiences shed light on her purpose. Putnam says, “It is finally clear why I am here on the Earth. Bringing joy and laughter amidst the most horrific circumstances fills my soul.” In 2021, Putnam won the $15,000 Grand Prize and the People’s Choice Award for the Plein Air Salon Competition. The two paintings that received the awards were chosen from over 12,000 entries. Ms. Putnam holds Signature Member status in the California Art Club, as well as in Oil Painters of America.