Killian took his wife’s small hand in his, giving it an intimate squeeze as they walked to where the microphone had been set up. Anatole Rudman, one of the partners in the Rudman-Speight Gallery and a major sponsor of the competition, was already there, smiling at everyone.

“I want to thank everyone for coming,” he began. “This is an important night for everyone. You all know why we are here, so I won’t keep you in suspense any longer. We have some outstanding entries this year ...