INTERNATIONAL artist Sarah Güsten Marr is to hold a competition next year for blossoming Yorkshire artists at her Gallery GM at Dykelands Farm, Whenby, near York.
“I’m very keen give what support I can to young people hoping to build a career from their artistic talents, especially those living in North Yorkshire, so I’m providing the prize money and the gallery space for the competition entrants to exhibit their work for a month in May 2016,” says Sarah, above, who will launch the Gallery GM Art Prize for Young Artists at the preview of her own summer exhibition on the evening of June 6.
“The competition will be open to artists aged 18 to 26 and the idea is to give them a chance to exhibit their work in a professional gallery,” says Sarah, whose competition spans painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, mixed media and digital art.
Sarah hopes to attract 100 entries, with no entry fee, and will then lead a judging panel that will select 15 works for exhibition, from which the first prize winner will receive £750 and the chance to hold a solo show over two weekends at Gallery GM. The second prize will be £250; the third, £150, and each prize winner also will be given £150 of art materials. Each of the 15 artists will receive the full proceeds of any artworks they sell during the exhibition.
Sarah was born in Liberia, West Africa, in 1970 and as an orphan baby she was adopted by German parents and brought up, together with her two older sisters, in West Africa, Germany, the United States and Italy. “Like my dad did, I want to do something that makes a difference, and as a guest in this country, this art prize is a chance for me to give something back,” she says.
As part of that philosophy, Sarah will be the curator for the winner’s additional exhibition, drawing on her experience to guide them though mounting a show.
Next May’s art prize show will be open on four weekends, beginning with a prize announcement ceremony on the first Friday from 6pm to 9pm. The deadline for entries will be March 31, submissions will be in the form of photographs of the pieces sent by email to gallerygm.com
Entries will be limited to artists aged 18 to 26 who were born in Yorkshire or live or work here and any artist with any queries should write to info@gallerygm
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