LAST Thursday, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and sport launched the 2014 Guyana Visual Arts Competition which will kick off a series of workshops, lectures and seminars to which all artists and those interested in the arts are invited. According to the chairman of the Guyana Visual Arts, Mr. Alim Hosein, the competition which was originally established in 2012 will run from November 24 to November 13, 2014 and aims to stimulate artistic creativity and productivity, in order to raise the standard of art created in the country.

The competition will be judged in the following six categories: painting, sculpture, ceramics, drawing, textile and photography. To enter the competition, artists must submit the completed entry forms with two passport-size photos, as well as present their ID or passports as evidence of being Guyanese citizens.

According to Mr. Hosein, judges will be drawn from Guyana as well as from abroad, and will judge the art pieces submitted totally independently, without any input from Guyana Visual Arts or the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport. Mr. Hosein also asked artists to take special care when completing the forms as well as to submit their best pictures, because the information they submit will be used to build a Directory of Artists in Guyana. This initiative will give artists more visibility, especially those artists who are less well known.
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr Frank Anthony, who officiated at the occasion, disclosed that President Donald Ramotar who was instrumental in launching the competition fully supports it. Hence, he expressed his belief that the competition will be a success, since they will have all the resources they need. The minister added that they want to use art to engage, educate, entertain and empower people. In that way, they hope to make art, which is currently only appreciated by a select few, more popular.
The minister also emphasised the importance of the proposed artists database, which he said will enhance the profile of artists and help them sell their artworks, as more people will become aware of them and what they offer. As an example, he mentioned that the art pieces of local artists, especially those that do well in the competition, may be included in the Guyana Art exhibition which will be showcased at Carifesta.
Mr. Albert Rodrigues, who also spoke at the event, said that the following prizes will be available: A cash prize of $500,000 plus a gold medal for the winner; for the runner-up, a $300,000 cash prize plus a silver medal; and for the third-placed finisher, a $200,000 cash prize plus a bronze medal. There is also a cash prize of $200,000 called the Promise Award, for a young artist who shows great potential.
Those artists who wish to register for the competition can download their registration forms from the Ministry of Culture website www.mcys.gov.gy. or pick them up at the E. R. Burrowes School of Art, Carifesta Avenue.
Written By Jimmy Roos