BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin and Actress Issa Rae Announce Winner of 8th Annual BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® Artisan Series in Miami

HAMILTON, Bermuda, Dec. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --  Last night, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin announced Vancouver based artist, Vanessa Lam, as the Grand Prize Winner of the 8^th Annual BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Artisan Series. Online global arts platform, Artsy, curated the star-studded grand finale event at Villa Casa Casuarina while writer, producer, and actress Issa Rae served as special host of the evening. Now in its eighth year, the Artisan Series once again embarked on a search to discover the best emerging visual artists from across North America, bringing 16 finalists to SCOPE Miami Beach to showcase their works at one of the world's most prestigious international art fairs. After careful consideration by this year's esteemed panel of judges -- including Curator of Artsy Projects Elena Soboleva, SCOPE Vice President Daria Brit Greene, and Artisan Series International Curator Andre Guichard, -- Lam was crowned as the 2017 champion. As part of her title, Lam will now go on to collaborate with Artsy on an immersive public arts installation in New York City next Spring.

Founded in 2010, the BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Artisan Series is an annual arts competition committed to fostering up-and-coming visual artists by providing a national platform to showcase their works. This summer, thousands of artists entered the 2017 Artisan Series by submitting a piece of original art. From that pool, the remarkable works of 16 extraordinary artists were selected to move on to the finale in Miami. Each of the 16 finalists' winning works were featured within a special exhibition at SCOPE Miami Beach, drawing invaluable exposure for the artists, before the finale celebration on Friday, December 8^th. Held at the Villa Casa Casuarina, the exclusive fête was curated by Artsy and hosted by Rae where an illustrious mix of artists, celebrities, musicians, and industry innovators including Eva Longoria, Mark Ronson, and Olivia Culpo came together to toast to the program's outstanding creative talent. The evening featured a variety of artfully crafted BOMBAY SAPPHIRE cocktails including an extravagant cocktail creation served to guests from a fountain.

As the evening winded down, Rae took the stage to congratulate the 16 finalists before announcing Lam as the 2017 Grand Prize Winner. In addition, two other artists were recognized among the 16 finalists: Second Place Winner Ariel Vargassal (Los Angeles) and People's Choice Winner Charity White (Chicago). Following their wins, the Los Angeles and Chicago -based artists will create a collection of work to debut next spring at gallery exhibits in their hometowns. 

Lam reveled in her victory stating, "It's been an incredible journey since being a part of the Artisan Series earlier this year. Exhibiting my work and getting to know so many inspiring artists during this year's Artisan finale is something I will never forget, and I am grateful to have been offered this remarkable platform to share my art with the world."

Following the announcement of Lam's win, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Senior Brand Manager Stacy Saltiel looked back at the program's history stating, "Over the past eight years, the Artisan Series program has committed to supporting the industry's top emerging visual artists. It has been inspiring to see these artists go on to create a lasting impact in the creative community and we're excited to see how Lam will continue to push boundaries and take her talent to new heights."

ABOUT THE BOMBAY SAPPHIRE ARTISAN SERIES
The BOMBAY SAPPHIRE ARTISAN SERIES fosters the talents of emerging artists through a North American search for the best up-and-coming names in visual arts.  Each year, a handful of finalists are selected from thousands of online submissions and local gallery events to showcase their work at SCOPE MIAMI BEACH, the premier showcase for international emerging contemporary art. Since its inception in 2010, the Artisan Series has received more thirty thousand submissions from visual artists across the U.S. and Canada and has precipitated the sale of artwork to musicians, collectors, and film moguls – a testament to the exceptional caliber of talent receiving exposure from this annual emerging arts competition.

ABOUT ARTSY
Artsy is the global platform for discovering and collecting art. Artsy partners with leading museums, international galleries, auction houses, and art fairs to create the world's largest marketplace for art. Artsy's technology enables the growth of the entire art market by effectively connecting supply and demand at a global scale. With 2,000+ partners across 90+ countries and the most-read art publication online, Artsy empowers a global audience to learn about, discover, and collect art. Launched in 2012, Artsy is headquartered in New York City with offices in London and Berlin.

ABOUT BOMBAY SAPPHIRE
BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® is the world's fastest growing premium Gin and number one premium Gin by value.  BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is created with a unique combination of ten sustainably sourced botanicals from around the globe. The brand's signature distillation process known as vapour infusion is showcased at the BREEAM award-winning Laverstoke Mill Distillery in Hampshire, England. The vapour infusion process skillfully captures the natural flavors of the botanicals which results in the Gin's smooth, complex taste. Awarded a double gold medal in the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is consistently recognized for crafting the finest quality gin. For more information, please explore www.bombaysapphire.com.

The BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® brand is part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited.

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