SEATTLE, WA.- The Betty Bowen Committee, chaired by Gary Glant, has announced Ellen Lesperance as winner of the 32nd annual Betty Bowen Award, which comes with an unrestricted cash prize of $15,000. A selection of Lesperance’s work will be on view at the Seattle Art Museum beginning October 21, 2010. Eli Hansen was awarded the PONCHO Special Recognition award in the amount of $2,500, and Barbara Sternberger was selected to receive the Kayla Skinner Special Recognition Award in the amount of $2,500. Five finalists chosen from a pool of 350 applicants from Washington, Oregon and Idaho, including Chris Engman and Emily Gherard, competed for the $20,000 in awards. Lesperance, Hansen and Sternberger will receive their awards and discuss their work at a public award ceremony on Thursday, October 21 from 6-7 pm in the Plestcheeff Auditorium at SAM downtown. A public reception will follow from 7- 8 pm in SAM’s Arnold