GOVERNMENT will continue to support the work of all artists, and provide opportunities for their works to be experienced by all Guyanese; because the practice of art is not one of individual glory for the artist, but art impacts society by providing ideas in a graphic and attractive manner.

That was the declaration made by His Excellency President Donald Ramotar, last Friday evening at the Guyana Visual Arts and Exhibition Ceremony 2012, hosted at the National Cultural Centre.
President Ramotar also said that the institution of the Guyana Visual Arts Competition advances Guyana’s cultural infrastructure, because art says something of the society, whether it is to remind the society of the good around them, make predictions about the future, comment on the present, or offer advice on matters.
The President stressed that, even as we pursue economic development, we cannot exclude art, as art adds quality to life. He noted that the society will continue to need art even as it grows and satisfies more of its material needs.
At the request of artists in Guyana, the Guyana Visual Arts Competition and Exhibition was re-launched in July after a 20-year hiatus, and it continues a tradition that was started in 1994 with the National Exhibition of the Visual Arts.
Over 204 entries, coming from 75 artists, vied for the enticing prizes in the Guyana Visual Arts Competition, held under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport in six areas: painting, ceramics, textiles, photography, sculpture and drawing.
In the painting category, George Simon won first prize for “Homage to Wilson Harris: EBESO#1”; Betsy Karim won second prize for “We are the World”; and Carl Anderson won third prize for “Afro and Indian Beauty Queens”.
In the sculpture category, first prize went to Gary Thomas for “Lifeline Integration”; second prize went to Desmond Alli for “Model of Regional Integration Monument”; and third prize went to Winslow Craig for “Saving Seeds”.
In the drawing category, first prize went to Michael Griffith for “Through the Canvas”; second prize went to Carl Anderson for “Mash Mass and Sambas Carnivals”; and third prize went to Paloma Bristol for “Men on the Other Side”.
In the photography category, first prize went to Nikhael Ramkarran for “Shipwreck”; second prize went to Sharon Ramkarran for “Mangrove Seedlings”; and third prize went to Michael Lam for “Final Entrance”.
No winners were announced in the ceramics and textile categories, as these had too few entries.
The Promise Award was bestowed upon Aneeza Coelo for” Guardian Mother”. Young artist Akima McPherson impressed the judges so much with her use of mixed medium in her piece “Walk with Me”, that she was awarded a new award – The Judges’ Special Award.
For the first time, a million dollars in prizes were offered in each category. The first prize winners were awarded $500,000 and a gold medal; the second prize winners received $300,000 and a silver medal, and the third prize winners were awarded $200,000 and a bronze medal.
A ‘Promise Award’ of Gy$200,000 and a bronze medal was bestowed on a young artist (maximum 25 years old) whose work, in the opinion of the judges, displayed exceptional promise.
Eligible artists were required to be Guyanese by birth or naturalisation (proof of citizenship was required) and of minimum age 16. Eligible works were (for the 2012 competition only)   artwork completed within the five years prior to the competition (i.e. between November 2007 and November 2012).
The panel of judges included award-winning artist, art critic and art historian Stanley Greaves; Danish-born curator and author Theresa Hadchity; arts and craft Professor Ms Daphne Rogers; art critic, Film Maker, and Cultural Researcher Dr Rupert Roopnaraine and Art Collector, Musician, Composer and Consultant Ras Camo Williams.
The Guyana Visual Arts Competition seeks to give recognition and support to the creative work of Guyanese in the visual arts, and to provide a source of inspiration to Guyanese artists, thereby stimulating the development of the finest expression of visual imagination among Guyanese.