AWARD-WINNING entries in the Festival fine arts and photography competitions will be showcased tomorrow with the hosting of an awards ceremony at the Mutual Life Gallery on Oxford Road in Kingston, beginning at 6:30 p.m.This is the first time that these two competitions are sharing an opening ceremony, although they were organised separately by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC).
Jamaicans will have the opportunity of viewing and judging the artistic talents unearthed by the JCDC in the combined exhibition which will be officially opened by Fay Pickersgill, director of tourism.
Several famous Jamaican artists have had their initial exposure through the Festival fine arts competition. This year, 155 entries were received in the competition, including 16 in a special youth category designed to promote amateur artists under 19 years.
The entries were received in the categories of drawing, ceramics, sculpture/3-D designs, fibre arts/leather craft, and painting/water-colours.
Of the numbers, 53 received medals - 13 silver, 18 bronze and 22 certificates of merits. These will be handed out tomorrow.
In addition to the award-winning entries, other works will also be on show, "pieces worthy of a standard to be in a national competition," according to Heidi Leith, JCDC co-ordinator of the competition.
She told The Sunday Gleaner that the youth category was well-supported, although it was just being introduced this year.
Growing interest
As evidence of a growing interest in art among youths, nearly a dozen students of the Spanish Town Comprehensive High School in St. Catherine sumbitted works for consideration, while four entries were received from children under 14 years.
"This is one area of the competition the Commission will be encouraging," Ms. Leith said.
Meanwhile, two gold medals, seven silver and eight bronze medals will be awarded to participants in the Festival photography competition, as well as 181 certificates of merits.
The competition was open to amateur and professional photographers who sumbitted a maximum of three photographs in any or all of the four categories (black and white or colour prints, slides and manipulated prints). These were further sub-divided into 13 classes including portraiture, still life, landscape/seascape, architecture/engineering, photo-journalism, sports, abstract and flora/fauna.
Over 424 entries were received this year, an increase over the 396 submitted last year. The works were judged by a three-member panel on the basis of impact, composition and technical qualities.
The judges' reports on the two competitions will be presented at the awards ceremony, and the combined exhibition is scheduled to run for three weeks.
Georgia Hemmings
