John Culatto
A WHOPPING £10,000 in prize money is up for grabs at Gibraltar’s 50th international art competition to be held at the end of October.
The Ministry of Culture will invite a judge to make the call on the winner, who will receive the £5,000 Gustavo Bacarisas Prize named after the Rock’s historic artist.
Second and third prizes of £2,000 and £1,500 respectively will also be on offer, named after two other famous local artists, Jacobo Azagury and Leni Mifsud.
Artists can enter a maximum of two paintings and two sculptures for the competition.
Artists who paint about Gibraltar also stand to win the Rudesindo Mannia Prize of £1,000.
And the Mario Finlayson Prize will go to the best young artist from 16 to 24-years-old who can get the attention of the adjudicator.
Local gallery owner Sebastian Rodriguez won second prize in last year’s competition.
His ‘Jimera De Libar Plein Air’ was only pipped to first prize by Jerez-born Fermin Garcia Villaescusa and his ‘Ventana al Patio’.
Rodriguez told The Olive Press his transition to a life painter was being inspired by spending more time in nature.
“I feel it’s an area which I could have more of in my day-to day-life so it works for me to paint there,” he said.
“The plein air approach is different to studio work, especially as one needs to be very quick before the light changes.”
Another local artist, Gavin Keith Garcia won third prize with ‘Mother and Child (The Embrace)’.
Bathsheba Peralta took the best Best Gibraltar Theme prize with her ‘Rosia’.
The Mario Finlayson Prize in 2022 for best young artist went to Naomi Duarte with ‘Dabuti, 92’.
Entries for this years event of a maximum of two sculptures and two paintings need to be handed in on October 16-18 this year.
The resulting exhibition of all the works will take place between October 25 and November 4, after the winners are announced.
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