The Meridian Museum of Art’s People’s Choice Art Competition returns on Saturday, June 2, with the opening reception and voting kick-off from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. at the downtown museum. The event is free and open to the public.

The People’s Choice gives Museum visitors the chance to vote for the award winners in a variety of media categories, as well as Best in Show. This year’s event, the 16th Annual People’s Choice, features more than 160 works of art by artists from throughout the Southeast, with works in media such as acrylics, ceramics, collages, colored pencil works, egg temperas, encaustics, ink drawings, mixed media works, oil paintings, pastels, pencil drawings, photographs, sculptures, stained glass works, tempera paintings, and watercolors.

Artists with work in this year’s exhibit include Meleah Aldridge, Michelle Allee, Prevatt Allen, Paige Ammon, Orville “Shorty” Anderson, Jason Baldwin, Peggy Billups, Ann Brace, Bonnie Busbee, Kay Calcote, Amber Carraway, Shu H. Chang, Terry K. Childers, Juleen Cobb, Sabrina Comola, James Conner, Ronnie Conway, Lacey Cook, Catherine Cresswell, Cary Crosby, Karen Crosby, Doris E. Cross, Donna Downey, Keith Englen, Angela Evans, Sylvia Follis, Mike French, Mary Ann Galle, Robert Garvin, Shirley A. Glaab, Dawn Gray, Alesia Gudovska, Dwelia T. Haas, Larry Harris, Allison Harrison, Denise Harrison, BJ Hatten, Neil Hatten, Marie Hill, Susan F. Hinton, Carla C. Horne, Olga Hutchinson, Philip R. Jackson, Keith Jacoby, Jeanna Jinks, H.W. Sonny Jones, Pamela Jones, Patricia Kent, Joy Glass Koch, Leslie LeJeune, Melinda Loechel, Enley Long, Willie Lovette, Brad Luke, Rebecca Mauldin, Cindy McDaniel, Aaron J. McElfish, Jessica McGee, Doris McKinney, Anthony Meadows, Victoria Meek, Summer Nation, Wayne Porter, Keating Prather, Dot Pugh, Ann Carol Purvis, Teri Purvis, MaryLou Redd, Aaron Reece, John Remy, Randy Rives, Edward Ruth, Diane G. Salls, Kurt Schroeder, Don Shaffer, Kay Shaffer, Sara Simpson, Cynthia Smith, Justin Solomon, Cassandra Spidle, Paul Switzer, Patsy Temple, Dr. Paul Varela, Megan Watkins, Nick Westbrook, Beth White, Deanna Williamson, and Samuel Williamson.

Judges in the competition will be museum visitors. For $1, each person may cast one ballot during the competition. Visitors can vote not only for the Best in Show winner, but also in each of the media categories, which include acrylics, black white photographs, color photographs, drawings/prints, mixed media, oil paintings, three-dimensional works, and watercolors.

Voting will begin at the Opening Reception on Saturday and continue through 5 p.m. on Friday, July 6. Award winners will be announced at the Awards Reception on Saturday, July 7.

Other upcoming museum events include Summer Youth Art Classes beginning June 4, the Blues and Barbecue Festival on July 14, and A Museum Murder Mystery from August 9-18.

The Meridian Museum of Art is open Tuesday–Sunday, from 1 p.m.-5 p.m., and admission is free. The museum is located at 628 25th Ave. For more information about the People’s Choice or other museum programs, call (601) 693-1501 or e-mail MeridianMuseum@aol.com.