DOTHAN, Ala. (WDNews) — The Wiregrass Museum of Art has announced the winners of two awards presented as part of B26: Wiregrass Biennial, a juried exhibition showcasing contemporary art created across the South.
Carrie Ann Baade received the Judge’s Choice Award for her work, Speculative Marriage Portrait of my 9th Great-Aunt Margueritte de Ste. Christophe and Jean-Baptiste Raphaël, 4 August 1725, from her Birthplace series.
Baade, whose work was also featured in WMA’s B20: Wiregrass Biennial, creates paintings that draw from art history to develop new narratives involving memory, identity and the past.
“I am deeply honored that this portrait from my Birthplace series was selected for the Judge’s Choice Award,” Baade said. “The series consists of speculative portraits of my eighth, ninth, and tenth great-grandmothers and aunts and is very close to my heart. This particular work speaks to the complicated histories of race, identity, and love in colonial Louisiana.
“Creating this portrait series has taught me so much about these lives and the world they inhabited. I am profoundly grateful for this recognition and for the support of a project that seeks to bring these complex and often obscured lives back into view. It means a great deal to have this work seen and acknowledged in this way.”
Wendy DesChene received the Alabama Prize for her painting Li Bufloo, (Bufaloo), which was recognized as an outstanding work by an Alabama artist in the exhibition.
DesChene is a professor of art at Auburn University and a Canadian Métis Nation artist. Her work explores identity and the use of art as a way to encourage dialogue and connection. Her work includes painting, drawing, installations, murals and socially engaged projects.
Wiregrass Museum of Art Executive Director and Curator Dana-Marie Lemmer said recognizing artists is an important part of the Biennial and the museum’s work in the region.
“Supporting artists means more than simply presenting their work—it means creating opportunities for artists to be seen, to take risks, to connect with new audiences, and to have their ideas become part of a larger conversation,” Lemmer said. “The Wiregrass Biennial has always been an important part of that work. Every two years, it gives us an opportunity to look closely at the art being made across the South today and to bring together artists whose practices reflect the complexity, diversity, and evolving practices of the region. B26 demonstrates just how vibrant and expansive art in the South is, and we are proud to recognize Wendy and Carrie Ann for the exceptional work they have contributed to this exhibition.”
This year’s judge was Carrie Jaxon, an artist, curator, designer, photographer and educator based in Troy. Jaxon serves as director and curator of Troy University’s International Arts Center.
“B26 brings together a compelling range of voices and artistic approaches. There is a special energy throughout the exhibition, fueled by the richness and diversity of contemporary art being made across the South,” Jaxon said. “I appreciate the wide range of mediums, experimental techniques, and fresh perspectives represented in the work. Selecting just two works was a challenge among such an incredibly talented group of artists.”
Jaxon also explained what stood out about the two winning pieces.
“I appreciated Wendy DesChene’s exploration of her ancestral heritage. Her painting process echoes the meticulous practice of Indigenous beadwork, becoming part of her reconnection to her ancestors. The work creates a powerful dialogue between land, cultural memory, and identity, reclaiming a personal history through a contemporary visual language.
“Carrie Ann Baade’s work demonstrates how research and imagination can bring new perspectives to the historical record. Through speculative portraiture, she considers the lives of individuals who helped shape the early Gulf South but whose stories were historically disregarded. Her meticulous investigation into her own ancestry gives the work a deeply personal dimension, transforming fragments of history into portraits that speak to resilience, memory, and perseverance.”
The Wiregrass Biennial dates back to 1990 and provides a platform for artists from across the Southeast. The exhibition includes painting, sculpture, installation, mixed media and new media.
B26: Wiregrass Biennial is on display at the Wiregrass Museum of Art in Dothan through Sept. 19, 2026.