Ragland's "Midway Magic" chosen for S.D. Fair publicity

FALLBROOK – Jack Ragland was thrilled when Kate Fitzsimmons, the director of the Fine Art Department of the San Diego County Fair, called and asked if he would give his permission to use his 2005 first prize and Best of Show plein air competition winner for their publicity this year.

The theme is "retro." They went back over the prize winners for 54 years, since the inception of the Fine Art Division of the Fair, and they felt that Ragland's painting perfectly embodied the Spirit of the Fair with its dynamic composition, primary colors impressionistic brush strokes, young and old, families enjoying all the activities of the fair: eating, taking rides, viewing exhibits, having fun in the festive atmosphere.

The San Diego County Fair is one of the largest county fairs in the United States, bringing in over a million people per year on average. The Fine Art Division, 1970, has between 1,500-2,400 entries annually, of which 500 pieces are juried in and exhibited in the space allotted under the grandstand.

It is open to all artists, not just limited to local artists. Ragland has had his works juried in since 1984 almost every year, winning multiple awards and distinctions.

Submitted by Natasha Ragland.