OCALA, Fla. (Jan. 13, 2026) - The City of Ocala, in partnership with Fine Arts for Ocala (FAFO), held the 2026 Student and Emerging Competition, "Techne," on Tuesday evening at Ocala City Hall.

This year's open-theme exhibition celebrates a diverse range of media and artistic approaches from student and emerging artists throughout the region. The title "Techne" is derived from the Greek word τέχνη, meaning skill, craft or the art of making, reflecting the exhibition's focus on creativity, technique and innovation.

A full list of winners from the reception is listed below:

Best of Show:

Tyrek Studivant - Them Darn Nab Seagulls

(Prizes: $1,000 monetary award by FAFO, featured in the Ocala Gazette, and a free class at Picasso's Palette)

High School Division:

First Place: Elisha Centeno - Beef

(Prizes: College of Central Florida Scholarship, free class at Painting with a Twist)

Second Place: Sayge Brinson - Outside Inside

Third Place: Bryce Howard - Alien Tiger Mi.35

(Prizes: Both Second and Third Place will receive a College of Central Florida Scholarship)

One to Three Years of Active Experience Division:

First Place: Tony Auletta - Hidden Horror

(Prizes: First Place will receive a free class at Painting with a Twist and a $150 gift certificate for Chelsea Arts Center)

Second Place: Kyrah Swanigan - The Beauty of Her Beast

Third Place: Emma Anderson - From Ashes and Flames I Arise Like a Phoenix in the Night

Four to Six Years of Active Experience Division:

First Place: Yomar Casanova - La Noche Verde

(Prizes: First Place will receive a professional art framing at Cartigliano Arts and a free class at Painting with a Twist)

Second Place: George Anthony Tripp - The Wearer of Faces

Third Place: Shoma Joshi - Rapture

All winners will also receive annual memberships to the Appleton Museum of Art and Marion Cultural Alliance, as well as a registration fee waiver for the 2025-26 First Friday Art Walk season.

The "Techne" exhibition will remain on display through Monday, March 9, at Ocala City Hall, 110 SE Watula Ave. The exhibit is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. All artworks are available for purchase unless otherwise noted.

For more information, please contact the City of Ocala Cultural Arts Division at 352-629-8447 or [email protected].

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