Teen contest So You Want To Be An Artist? begins May 19

OTTAWA, May 19, 2015 /CNW/ - The National Gallery of Canada (NGC) invites teenagers aged 16 to 19 from all over Canada to enter as of May 19 an original artwork on a subject of their choice to the fifth edition of the contest So You Want To Be An Artist? The deadline for entries is October 5, 2015. The contest is intended both for young people thinking about art school and for those who have never picked up a paintbrush. The finalists' artworks will be displayed in the Artissimo Gallery and the first-place winner will receive an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the Gallery, a portfolio review by an NGC curator and a gift certificate for art supplies. Join the conversation by following the contest on Twitter and Facebook, @Art_Canada and facebook.com/makeart.faisdelart, and using the hashtag #WeAreArtists.

This year, CBC/Radio-Canada and Colleges and Institutes Canada are collaborating with the contest by promoting it through their various digital platforms. In 2014, the contest received more than a hundred submissions from all across the country.

"The So You Want To Be An Artist? contest is a terrific opportunity for young people to explore their creativity, exercise their talent and learn about the social side of art," said NGC director Marc Mayer.

How to enter
Aspiring artists must go to the contest website - soyouwanttobeanartist.ca - where the can log in and create their own virtual studio space and upload a digital version of their artwork accompanied by an artist statement. After the entry period, the public will be invited to vote online for their favourite pieces. The 12 works that garner the most votes along with three additional pieces selected by an NGC curator, will be displayed at the Gallery from December 4, 2015 to January 15, 2016. Full contest regulations are available on the contest website.

A jury of experts
Three pieces will be selected from the 15 finalists by a jury. Their evaluation criteria will be the following: clarity of the theme and message; originality and imaginativeness; and the thought and feeling elicited in the viewer.

Eligibility
The contest is open to all residents of Canada aged 16 to 19 years old (inclusively) as of October 5, 2015.

First prize
A behind-the-scenes visit to the Gallery to learn about careers in the visual arts, a portfolio review by a curator (or university/college professor) and a $500 gift certificate for art supplies. Total maximum value: $3,500. The top prize includes travel for the winner and one accompanying adult, plus two nights' accommodation and meals (Note: If the winner lives within a 100-km radius of downtown Ottawa, a $1,000 gift certificate for art supplies will be substituted for the travel portion of this prize.)

Second Prize
A $1,000 gift certificate for art supplies.

Third Prize
A $500 gift certificate for art supplies.

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About the National Gallery of Canada
The National Gallery of Canada is home to the most important collections of historical and contemporary Canadian art. The Gallery also maintains Canada's premier collection of European Art from the 14th to the 21st century, as well as important works of American, Asian and Indigenous Art and renowned international collections of prints, drawings and photographs. Created in 1880, the National Gallery of Canada has played a key role in Canadian culture for well over a century. Among its principal missions is to increase access to excellent works of art for all Canadians. For more information, visit gallery.ca

SOURCE National Gallery of Canada