"Centripital Force," by Christopher Gryder

The City of Roanoke Purchase Award went to John Wilson's sculpture "Mutated Snail."

"Ash" by Brett LaGue

"Between Innings Version III," by Christopher Jones

"When Fat Girls Dream," by Christina Owens Knapp

Second place went to Gerry Bannan's "Thoth."

"Potential," by Kurt Ernest Steger

No. 5 in Ann Glover's 5-part "Flesh and Blood" series (2007). The series was named best in show.

Ann Glover's "Flesh and Blood," a multipanel narrative of people in turmoil, has been named "Best in Show" at this year's Roanoke City Art Show.

Gerry Bannan's encaustic "Thoth," apparently named after the Egyptian god of wisdom, won second place. The City of Roanoke Purchase Award went to John Wilson's sculpture "Mutated Snail."

Glover's paintings show a man, woman and child in oddly stilted postures alternately appealing to someone outside the picture frame (the viewer? God?) and being knocked about. Whether they are fighting or the victims of external forces is almost impossible to say.

In her written comments, juror Helen Frederick described the panels this way: "Doll-like characters are tightly arranged for an aerial view. In a disturbing (sit-com?) episodic event that could relate to real or virtual reality, the family group ends up very disarranged. They are worth our thoughtful attention."

In a walk through the galleries Wednesday evening before making her final choices, Frederick praised Bannan's skill in working in the difficult ancient medium of encaustic, in which coloring is added to heated wax or resin. The mixture is then applied in its molten state to a board or canvas. "It's very complex," she said of the process.

Frederick, an artist, professor at George Mason University and founder of the Pyramid Atlantic Art Center in Silver Spring, Md., selected 43 artworks from 443 submissions by 123 artists for this year's show. (Some artists made multiple submissions.) It runs heavily to paintings and photographs, with only two sculptures.

Frederick was pleased by the quality of the work submitted, she said, and impressed that veteran artists continue to participate along with newcomers: "They want to be part of the community. It's remarkable that they continue to submit."

In her written comments, Frederick gave the nod for "quirkiest" work to Steve Bernard for his two acrylics on wood panel, one of which is titled "Traffic Tie-Up at the New Nutball Art Museum."

Alas, there is no art show award yet for quirky work.

This year's show is hung, probably for the last time, in the second floor galleries of what used to be the Art Museum of Western Virginia, which has vacated the space. The show's future location has not been determined, said Laura Rawlings, executive director of the Arts Council of the Blue Ridge. The arts council presents the annual show.

Visitors may notice something on the wall labels this year they haven't seen before: prices. When the space was part of the art museum, museum rules prohibited listing prices for the art, said the arts council's member services and program director, Krista Engl. Now they are free to do so.

A portion of art sales will benefit the arts council.