XVIII Galeria Aberta - Beja 2013

 The Escudeiros Gallery (Galeria dos Escudeiros) was this year's chosen venue for the opening of the XVIII Galeria Aberta, in the Portuguese city of Beja.
The event was atended by many artists and public in general, once again demonstrating the continuous success of this initiative throughout the years.

 This 18th edition of Galeria Aberta shows the works of 183 artists from several countries, mostly from Portugal and Spain. The range varies between drawing, painting, instalation, sculpture, photography and mixed media.

 Visitors to the exhibition will be able to enjoy the different use of media and see how each artist conveys his/her ideas through their use. From classical to contemporary, or from realism to abstraccionism, the range of artworks exhibited will make your visit worthwhile.

 Due to the high number of participating artists, the exhibition takes place in three venues:

Galeria dos Escudeiros - Rua dos Escudeiros, 30
Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Beja - Rua D. Manuel I
Casa do Governador (inside the castle) - Largo do Lidador
 

The XVIII Galeria Aberta - Beja 2013, can be visited until the 15 November 2013.
Admitance is free.
For further information, please call +351 284 311 910.

Organized by the City Hall of Beja and Escudeiros - Galeria Municipal, with the support of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Beja and the sponsorship of Liberty Seguros.

Winners of the World Press Cartoon 2013 selected

The Jury of the World Press Cartoon Sintra 2013, consisted by Francisco Puñal, Spain, Ricardo Antunes, Brazil, António Antunes, Portugal, Riber Hansson, Sweden and Marielena Nardi, Italy (from left to right), has already selected the winners, who come from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, France, Greece, Iran, Serbia and Spain.

 The award ceremony will take place the 12th of April at the Olga Cadaval Cultural Center, located in Sintra, Portugal.

Salon International 2013 - A Juried Exhibition of Oil and Acrylic Paintings

 Submissions are open for the Salon International 2013 juried exhibition, a project of the International Museum of Contemporary Masters, hosted by Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art in San Antonio, Texas.

 Entrants can send digital files of their work(s) according to instructions in the prospectus until January 18, 2013. Slide entries must arrive at the gallery until the mentioned deadline. Entry fees apply. The submited work must be original (oil or acrylic) and completed after pril 13, 2011. Each artist can submit up to three entries.

 The submited entries will be juried by Jim Janes and Mark Smith, owners of Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art.
Renowned artist Daniel E. Greene, N.A. will be the 2013 edition's awarding judge.

 The selected paintings for the exhibition must be framed, ready to hang and priced according to the prospectus. Please note that entrants are responsible for the shipping of the works (including return), insurance through shipping and during the exhibition (April 13 - May 3).

 Shipped paintings must arrive at the gallery between March 12-30, 2013. Shipments from outside the United States must be shipped "Free Domicile" (DDP or Delivered Duty Paid) or will not be accepted.
Do not use foam peanuts  as packing materials. Paintings sent packed in peanuts will not be unpacked.Ship to: Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, 6496 N. New Braunfels Ave, San Antonio, Texas 78209.

 Artists whose works are selected for the exhibition and are able to deliver their paintings uncrated and personally at the Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art (on March 30, 2013, between the hours of 10am and 6pm), will have to include a check of $10 for each painting, payable to Greenhouse Gallery for handling fees.


 Those who cannot take their works in person, will have to include a $20 check for each painting payable to Greenhouse Gallery to cover the labor expense for uncrating, storage of crates, re-crating your painting and contacting a shipper for return. In a separate check, include a check made out to Greenhouse Gallery to cover the cost of return shipping unless you provide your billing account number with a shipping company. Both checks should be in an envelope inside the crate with your painting.

 Approximatey 300 paintings will be juried into the Salon International 2013 exhibition, wich includes over $35,000 awards in cash, merchandise certificates and advertising in renowned art magazines.
The Best of Show will get a $8,000 cash award and an article in American Art Collector.

 The Art Inquirer advises its readers to carefully read the rules outlined in the prospectus and revise all steps more than once, eventually taking notes of the most important aspects, namely fees, shipping, gallery commissions and how the payment will be made to the artists concerning the sold works.

 Again remember that the entry deadline for digital entries is January 18, 2013 and that slide entries must arrive to the gallery until this date.

Exhibition: Shortlisted Artists For the Future Generation Art Prize 2012

The works of the 20 shortlisted artists for the Future Generation Art Prize 2012, the first global art prize for artists up to 35, founded by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation in December 2009, can be viewed  in the PinchukArtCentre (Kyiv, Ukraine) untill January 6, 2013. These artists represent 16 different countries, selected from more than 4,000 applications received from 134 countries spread across all continents.
Also on view, is the work by 21st nominee for the Future Generation Art Prize, Mykyta Kadan, winner of the PinchukArtCentre Prize 2011, the first national contemporary art prize awarded to young Ukrainian artists under 35.

The shortlist of theFuture Generation Art Prize 2012 includes: Jonathas de Andrade, 30 (Brazil), Meris Angioletti, 34 (Italy), Marwa Arsanios, 33 (Lebanon), Micol Assael, 33 (Italy), Abigail DeVille, 30 (United States), Aurelien Froment, 35 (France), Mykyta Kadan,29 (Ukraine), Meiro Koizumi, 35 (Japan), Andre Komatsu, 33 (Brazil), Eva Kotatkova, 29 (Czech Republic), Tala Madani, 30 (Iran), Basim Magdy, 34 (Egypt), Ahmet Ogut, 30 (Turkey), Amalia Pica, 33 (Argentina), Agnieszka Polska, 27 (Poland), Emily Roysdon, 34 (United States), Rayyane Tabet, 28 (Lebanon), Yan Xing, 26 (China), Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, 34 (United Kingdom), and two groups: Joao Maria Gusmao + Pedro Paiva, 33, 34 (Portugal), and R.E.P. (Ukraine).
British artist Lynette Yiadom-Boakye was the Main Prize Winner of the 2012 edition of the Future Generation Art Prize. Lynette will receive a $100,000 award ($60,000 in cash and $40,000 to be invested in the production of new work).

Jonathas de Andrade (Brazil), Micol Assael (Italy), Ahmet Ögüt (Turkey), Rayyane Tabet (Lebanon), and Marwa Arsanios (Lebanon) shared the Special Prize.

VIII Bienal "Salão das Artes" Vidigueira 2012

Today at 16h30 will take place at the Town Hall of Vidigueira (Portugal), the inauguration of the VIII Bienal "Salão das Artes" Vidigueira 2012 (Vidigueira Biennial 2012).

 With 264 works, including painting, drawing, scultpure and installation from 172 national and international artists, including from Argentina, Brasil, Japan and Spain, the exhibition can be visited until October 21, 2012 at the following venues: Vidigueira's Town Hall (Salão Nobres dos Paços do Concelho); Parish Council building (Junta de Freguesia); Municipal Museum (former Professional School Fialho de Almeida); Exhibition Hall of the Multifaceted Center of New Technologies; Old Library building.

14th annual Pastel 100 Competition (2012)

Considered one of the most relevant art competitions for pastel artists all over the world, offering them the chance of having their work recognized and seen by the public and fellow artists from several countries, the annual Pastel 100 competition is again open for submissions.

 Following what has been usual in previous ones, the 2012 edition allows participants to enter in as many categories as they wish. Each category will be juried and the best works will be awarded with cash prizes and art materials.

 The Pastel Journal prizes will be awarded as follows:

$5000 cash for the Pastel Journal Grand Prize Award
$2500 cash for the Pastel Journal Gold Medal Award
$1500 cash for the Pastel Journal Silver Medal Award
$1000 cash for the Pastel Journal Bronze Medal Award

 The Ruth Richeson/Unison Pastels special award will be attributed to an artist, who will take home a set of Unison pastels (324 pieces, value $1,800) + $750 worth of Richeson Co. products.

 As mentioned before, artists are able to enter as many categories as they wish.
The 14th annual Pastel 100 Competition offers five categories, each one juried by a renowned pastel artist: Landscape & Interior—Liz Haywood-Sullivan; Portrait/Figure—Alain Picard; Still Life/Floral—Anne McGrory; Animal/Wildlife—Sandy Byers;Abstract/Non-objective—Jennifer Gardner



The Jack Richeson/Unison Pastels Category Awards:


■5 First Place Awards—valued at $500 72 piece Unison Pastel set, plus pastel surfaces

■5 Second Place Awards—valued at $250 36 piece Unison Pastel set, plus pastel surfaces

■5 Third Place Awards—valued at $150 18 piece Unison Pastel set, plus pastel surfaces

■5 Fourth Place Awards—valued at $100 36 piece Richeson soft pastel set, plus pastel surfaces

■5 Fifth Place Awards—valued at $50 18 piece Richeson pastel set, plus pastel surfaces


 All top prize winners and place winners will receive features in Pastel Journal (April 2013 issue).

70 honourable mentions will be awarded and an image and information about each painting will be published in Pastel Journal.

 The 14th annual Pastel 100 Competition is open to all artists worldwide, with 16 years of age or older.
Submited work must be at least 80% soft pastel; no oil pastels. Hard pastels are eligible.
All works must be original in concept and cannot be based on published material or other artists’ work. Paintings executed in a workshop under another artist‘s supervision or paintings based on another person’s photograph (even if it’s copyright-free) are NOT eligible.
Employees or associates of F+W Media, Inc., Jack Richeson & Co. Inc., or their immediate families may not enter.
Work previously published in a national publication or receiving an award at a national-level exhibition at the time of submission to this contest is not eligible.

 Entries can be made online or via regular mail. All digital files submitted via regular mail must be accompanied by an Official entry form. Participants that choose to enter in more than one category must include a separate sheet that gives the title and dimensions of each image and titles of the images on the CD must match the titles on that sheet. One CD can be used for all entries. CDs will not be returned.
The file format must be JPEG and slides are not accepted.
Artists selected for the Top 100 will be contacted about sending a high-res replacement.

 Each entry must be accompanied by $20 per image, payable through credit card number and signature, check or money order (in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank). A single check can be used to cover all entries. There will be a $10 charge for returned checks or declined credit cards. Credit cards will be charged within 90 days of contest deadline. Charge will appear as “F+W Contests.”

 Entries must be postmarked or submitted online no later than 11:59 pm EST August 15, 2012.

 Winners will be notified by October 31, 2012. The results will not otherwise be made public until they are published in Pastel Journal (April 2013 issue).

 As usual, The Art Inquirer advises you to carefully read all the submission rules before submiting your work in order to avoid disapointment due to a single rule that you missed.

Art in The Square Delray Beach 2012

 From 19th to 21st October 2012, the grounds of Old School Square Cultural Arts Center, located in Delray Beach, Florida, will once again host the artwork of contemporay artists from United States.

 In the likeness of previous editions, the 3rd annual Art in The Square Delray Beach art festival aims to enhance the relation between artists and the community. Through this event, RP&G Productions, one of South Florida's premier event planning companies, pretends to benefit local youth art programs and the Make-A-Wish Foundation®, while continuously developing programs and activities that encourage public awareness, participation, and appreciation of the visual arts, contributing to the community's revitalization via the arts.

 With the mission of making art an active part of the lives of children in all South Florida communities,  RP&G Productions provides financial support to local community based youth art programs and children charities by allocating a percentage of the proceeds from all its events.

 Art in The Square Delray Beach permits established artists to show their latest works and is an excellent opportunity for new and emerging artists to start gaining recognition from the public and start building their artistic career.

 According to the information at the official website, the applications after June 2 will not be eligible to receive awards by the juri and payments after July 2 will be charged a $20.00 late fee, besides the regular participation fees.

 If you still wish to participate, carefully check all the items that you need to submit. Also don't forget to read all the terms and conditions, as you always should when entering any art contest or festival.
A contact form and a phone number are provided in case you have any doubts.

International Photography Award EMERGENTES DST 2012

                                    

Submissions are open for the International Photography Award EMERGENTES DST, an initiative by Domingos da Silva Teixeira company and organised by the Festival Encontros da Imagem that aims to award the best Contemporary Photography portfolio of 2012.

The award is open to all creatives worldwide (amateurs and professionals) who use photography as relevant medium of their artistic portfolio.

On a first stage (preselection), the candidates must submit online, an original and updated portfolio containing up to 20 images (colour or black&white), in digital format. The images must be sent until August 15th, 2012. The fee to enter this first submission is 20 Euros, done by bank transfer to Encontros da Imagem (The Art Inquirer contacted one of the organizers and it's almost certain that they will accept Paypal)

An international juri will preselect 70 authors. These will be invited to submit their portfolios to be reviewed by specialists in the field.
The critics will value originality, concept and consistency of the project.
Finalists will be informed about the results until September 1, 2012.

Until September 15, finalists will have to select 6 specialists to examine and give an exposition of their portfolio, which will take place during the Festival Encontros da Imagem, between 19 and 20 of September.
Each session is individual and will last 20 minutes.

The participation fee for this second stage is 100 Euros (includes a Encontros da Imagem 2012 catalogue)
Finalists must upload a photography of their choice, in digital format (40x50cm and 300dpi) to be exhibited in the inauguration of Encontros da Imagem, September 15.

The winner will be announced during a formal ceremony on September 22, at Theatro Circo in Braga, and awarded with the International Photography Award EMERGENTES DST of 7,500 Euros in cash.
An exhibition of the finalists' portfolios will also take place.

The awarded author's works will be exhibited at the official section of Encontros da Imagem 2013.

For more information on how to participate, contact emergentes@encontrosdaimagem.com or call +351 253 278 633.

Academy of Realist Art - First Annual Scholarship Competition

Through its first Annual Scholarship Competition, the Academy of Realist Art (ARA) will provide artists working within an academic style painting and drawing, with the opportunity to develope their knowledge and skills in one of the most renowned art schools in the world.

The competition is open to all artists worldwide over the age of 18 and not currently enrolled at the Academy of Realist Art in Toronto or Boston (team entries are not accepted).

Entrants must submit 3 to 6 un-retouched JPEG images (no less than 2000 pixels X 2000 pixels) of original works, acompanied by artist name, title of work, media and dimensions (expressed in inches) to contest@academyofrealistart.com by September 30, 2012.

Submissions of representational art are accepted in the following categories: Figure • Portrait • Still Life
Art work for figure and portrait may be either a drawing or oil painting. Still life submissions are in oil paint.

Submissions shall be treated as being free of restrictions and limitations on their use and publication.

There is a non-refundable entry fee of CAD $30 payable through Paypal.
Individuals must specify the scholarship location they wish to attend if they are awarded a first prize

The Academy of Realist Art - First Annual Scholarship Competition will award  two First Prizes for one year's free tuition (valued at $7620 Canadian) for its full-time program: One at ARA Toronto and one at ARA Boston.

A Second Prize for a two-week workshop of their choosing (ARA Toronto and ARA Boston) and a Third Prize for a one-week workshop of their choosing (ARA Toronto only), will also be awarded.

Prizes are only for classes. Winners are responsible for all other expenses, including travelling and accomodation.

Winners will be announced on November, 2012.

This annual Scholarship Fund was established in memory of Elise Hunter Stevenson, an ARA student and dedicated art lover.

The Academy of Realist Art is an Art Renewal Center accredited atelier.

Arthood "Great Promise" exhibition - New York

The Arthood "Great Promise" art sale and reception to benefit the Watermill Center, will take place on Wednesday, May 30 (6:00 - 9:00 p.m.) at the Stephan Stoyanov Gallery in New York.

Selected works by Dalia Ferreira, Marco Gavrilovic and Sean DuFrene, winners of ARThood Selects competition "Great Promise" and works by Anya Rubin, Jenny Morgan, Jonathan Pozniak, Marco Zamora,  Matthew Heller, Nicholas Forker, Tim Hussey and Zac Braun, will be exhibited and available for sale at the gallery from May 29th to June 3rd and online at Arthood.

Arthood "Great Promise" is a curated exhibition by Zev Eisenberg featuring a group of artists with the potential to make an impact on the future of art.

Painting on the Edge 2012: Call for entries

Entries are open for the 10th annual open international juried exhibition Painting on the Edge. All artists worldwide are eligible to enter after accepting the competition rules.

Works should be original and express the artist's concept and imagination, therefore not based on other published artistic works. An exceptional use of the medium together with an excellent composition and a well chosen subject, will dictate the sucess of your entry. Submit works must have  been executed without the supervision of an instructor, completed within two years of the entry deadline and not previously exhibited in any FCA (Federation of Canadian Artists) exhibition.

Paintings, drawing media and printmaking will be accepted. Photographs, giclées, posters and any type of mechanical or digital reproduction will not be eligible.
Abstract, realist, expressive and impressionist styles are welcome.

By signing the entry form, the artist grants the FCA the right to use the image of the accepted artwork for publicity, reference and educational purposes. Copyright remains property of the artist.

Submissions are accepted online at http://www.artists.ca/.
There is a non-refundable entry fee of CAD$25 per image for FCA members in good standing and CAD$30 per image for non-members (please refer to the prospectus for complete information).
Entry deadline: June 14, 2012

All work must be intended for sale and priced in Canadian currency.
The FCA will retain a commission of 35% on all sales (price of the artwork must have this commission in consideration). Any sale accomplished by the FCA will have priority over a sale arranged by the artist, who should advise the organizer of their HST number if they are registered.

The artist is the sole responsible for the shipping of works to and from the exhibition as well as for their eventual insurance. "The FCA and all exhibition sponsors shall not be found liable for any loss or damage, whether or not caused by their negligence."
Work can also be hand delivered.

Entries that are selected for the exhibition must remain on display until 4pm, September 2, 2012.

The opening reception & awards ceremony will take place August 16th, 6pm – 8pm, during which the Federation of Canadian Artists Grand Prize in the value of  CAD$2,500 will be attributed (more awards to be announced). Awards will be mailed to those winners unable to attend the awards ceremony.
Awards must be accepted as granted.

Call for Artists: “Botanical Treasures of New Mexico”

Botanical artists residing in New Mexico, are invited to submit a portfolio of their work for appreciation to enter in the upcoming exhibition entitled "Botanical Treasures of New Mexico," organized by the City of Santa Fe Community Gallery and co-sponsored by the Santa Fe Botanical Garden.

Portfolios must include 5 to 10 printed images of the artist's work on standard digital print paper and an artist statement, resume and/or bio. Although there are no specific guidelines for the type of work shown in the portfolio, it's obvious that it should include works related to the theme.
It's important to specifiy that you would like to be considered for the "Botanical Treasures of New Mexico" exhibit. Portfolios must be received no later than May 30, 2012 for consideration.

Artists should submit their portfolio to Rod Lambert at:
Community Gallery
PO Box 909, Santa Fe, NM 87504

About 30 artists will be selected to participate in the exhibition and will be notified by the middle of June 2012. They will be asked to submit digital images of their work to the Community Gallery by the end of April 2013.
The selected artists will have to present their work for the exhbition based on plant lists that have a history in New Mexico, such as historic plants, endangered species, or endemic flora. All media will be considered.

The Community Gallery is planning the exhibit for the summer of 2013 which is scheduled to run from June through August 2013.

Participating in this exhibition is a valuable way to show your work to the public and to gain experience for future shows and art contests.

There are no fees to enter this call for artists (only open to New Mexico residents), as well as no prizes.

Sustaining / Creating - Call for emerging artists with disabilities

Submissions for the national juried exhibition Sustaining / Creating, are open to emerging artists aged 16–25, living in the United States, and carrying a disability. Previous award recipients are not eligible to apply.

Participating artists are invited to submit works - all work must have a visual component, independently of the chosen medium - that portray innovative viewpoints on sustainability and contemporary creativity, such as expressing notions of responsibility and interaction between humans and the natural world, not only from a scientific perspective, but also encompassing cultural aspects that can contribute to that sustainability.

Submitted artwork should illustrate these thematic ideas, which may be achieved through broad, abstracted references or detailed personal creations. The artwork might also reflect the artist's experience of living with a disability and its role in shaping or transforming his/her art.

Entrants should read the particular submission rules carefully and refer to the general submission rules page, namely on how to submit the images of the artwork and to check if any submission fees apply.

Fifteen artists will be selected for the exhibition and will share $60,000 in cash awards: a $20,000 grand prize, a $10,000 first award, a $6,000 second award, and 12 awards of excellence of $2,000 each.
The exhibition will take place at the Smithsonian Institution’s S. Dillon Ripley Center in Washington, D.C., from September 2012 to January 2013 and may travel nationally to additional venues. Awardees will be honoured at an opening reception on Capitol Hill.
 
Sustaining / Creating  is presented by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ VSA & Accessibility Office and Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

The event organizer can be contacted at scendak@kennedy-center.org.

World Press Cartoon 2012 winners: Egil Nyhus and Aristides Hernandez Guerrero

The Grand Prix of the 8th edition of the World Press Cartoon Sintra 2012, was attributed ex aequo to the Norwegian artist Egil Nyhus and to the Cuban artist Aristides Esteban Guerrero during the awards ceremony took place yesterday, April 20th, at the Olga Cadaval Cultural Center. Both will share a €20,000 cash award.

Egil, winner of the Caricature category, submited a portrait of the former FMI director Dominique Strauss-Khan, depicted as a piggy bank behind bars. The caricature was published on May 2011 in the Romenikes Blad newspaper.

Aristides aka Ares, winner of the Editorial Cartoon category, participated with a work published on October 2011 in the Juventud Rebelde newspaper, where an air bombing is represented with bombs in the form of Liberty statue torches.

In the Gag category, the first prize was awarded to the Romanian artist Pavel Constantin, who submited an image of a universal assembly with animals seating on top of nuclear waste barrels.

The second and third prizes in the Caricature category went respectively to Javier Carbajo Alfonso(Spain) and Riber Hansson(Sweden). David Vela(Spain) and  Goran Divac(Serbia) were attributed the second and third prizes in the Editorial Cartoon category, while Omar Turcios(Colombia) and Agim Sulaj(Albania) were awarded with the second and third prizes in the Gag category.

For the World Press Cartoon Sintra 2012, the organization received 861 cartoons submited by 402 participants from 56 countries. The juri, composed by António Antunes(Portugal), Fernando Puig Rosdo(Spain), Jean Mulatier(France), Lisa Donnelly(USA) and Peter Nieuwendijk(Netherlands), selected 343 works by 260 artists.

These works will be on display at the Museum of Modern Art in Sintra until July 30, 2012.

The People & Planet International Photography Competition 2012

Entries are open for The People & Planet International Photography Competition 2012, accessible to amateur and professional photographers anywhere in the world.

The organizers are looking for 53 extraordinary photos of various genres, including portraits, landscapes, animals, objects, or any combination of these, preferably with particular focus on social-justice or environment issues; better if telling “good news” stories. These photos will be published in the 2013 People & Planet: Social Justice & Environment Diary and Calendar, which raises money for our group of about 50 Australian charity partners.

Participants can submit up to a maximum of 4 photos of their own authorship. The photos must have a title each, include 3 to 5 sentences describing each one of them and the social-justice(s) and/or environment issue(s) raised by the photo, and the place where it was taken. You can submit photos previously published elsewhere.

Images can be colour or B&W, but must be at least 300 dpi resolution, supplied in JPEG format, with a maximum file size of 10 MB. We like minimal Photoshop-ing, and we will usually exclude photos where Photoshop-ing is obvious.
Other participation rules can be consulted on the peopleandplanet.org.au website.

Entering The People & Planet International Photography Competition 2012 is free. Submissons must be sent to peopleandplanet@peopleandplanet.org.au by 22 April 2012. The winners will be notified by 1 June 2012.

Winners will be selected by the competition Judges:
Michael Cebon (People & Planet Diary and Calendar Editor)
Rodney Dekker (Documentary Photographer)

A 1st Prize of A$1,500 and a 2nd Prize of A$500, both cash, will be attributed to the authors of the best two photos. The author of the photo selected for the cover of the People & Planet Diary & Calendar 2013 will receive a A$500 cash award.
All 53 winners will receive a free copy of the 2013 People & Planet Diary.

This is a great opportunity to have your photos published and achieve international recognition, while at the same time supporting a good causes. You can even use part of the prize to buy some calendars and offer them to your friends and relatives.

Monstra - Lisbon Animated Film Festival 2012

The 12th edition of Monstra - Lisbon Animated Film Festival (Monstra- Festival de Animação de Lisboa) will inaugurate tomorow 19th and will prolong until the 25th of this month.

With a programme of more than 100 films from Portugal, Germany, Japan and Canada, Monstra will dedicate this year's retrospective to Germany, a country with a long tradition in animation, of which the Festival will show films from the 20's to our times, covering themes such as music and satire. Some of the names include Bruno Böttge, Lotte Reiniger and Raimund Krumme, one of the invited guests of the Festival.

Having Bauhaus has a meeting poin for new and experimental artistic cultural and philosophical ideas, where names such as Hans Richter, Oskar Fischinger, Walter Rutman, Viking Eggeling and Lotte Reiniger, are a reference among many others, Germany has placed an indelible influence in the animated art of the 20th century's first half.

Following last editions, Monstra will also dedicate a retrospective to the Eastern animated films, with Japan playing this year's role.
The 2012 highlights will be "Ghost in the Shell," a Manga film from the director Mamoru Oshii and the film "Winter Days," a tribute to the recently deceased film director Kihachiro Kawamoto that will include the presence of one of the film's assistants, the film director and performer Noriko Morita.

In this year's edition, the competition is dedicated to short films, namely directed by students, and to under 2 minutes short films (Curtíssimas). Several prizes will be attributed to different categories.
Student classes will arrive from England, France and Germany, as well as young directors from many parts of the world.
The sudents competitions will be curated by Júlio Alves and Miguel Matos.

For the first time, the Portuguese Society of Authors (SPA) colaborates with Monstra to create the SPA/Vasco Granja prize, with the intent of rewarding the best Portuguese animation film created in 2011. The prize has a value of €5000.

Children are an important, if not the most important, element of this Festival. For them, Monstra 12 has Monstrinha, a special programme taking place in several places that will include specially catered sessions presented by field experts who will talk about the techniques that were used on each film.
One of the highlights of Monstrinha will be the film "Bambi," that celebrates its 70th anniversary this year.
The session wil take place in the peninsula of Troia. Those deslocating from Lisbon will benefit from free transport offered by the organization.

Several parallel activities will take place during the Festival, including workshops and master classes, as well as exhbitions.

A reference partner of Monstra, is the Museu da Marioneta (Marionette Museum), where the exhibition "Marionetas de Animação," dedicated to the DEFA Studio from the ex-DDR will take place. DEFA is one of the most important European animated film studios, with over 1500 films produced in 35 years (1955 to 1990).
Through the project [RE]Animar, vistors to the museum will have the chance to play with the zoetrope and learn about its use and how although an old instrument, still triggers curiosity and continues to be used.

Celebrating 10 years of Opera Imaginaire, the organization presents a programme about music and animation, in partnership with the programme DESCOBRIR from Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.
A tribute to the Portuguese director José Abel, of which Opera Imaginaire was his last work and had its premiere after his death, will be made through the presentation of his originals.

The Monstra - Lisbon Animated Film Festival will take place at Cinema São Jorge, Cinema City Alvalade, Fnac, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian and Museu da Marioneta, between 19th and 25th of March 2012.

Admission: 4€; with discount: 3,5€; schools: 1€

On a side note: The Monstra Festival sponsored the presentation of "Nutri Ventures - Em Busca dos 7 Reinos"(Nutri Ventures - The Quest for the 7 Kingdoms), which took place on the 17th at the Cinema São Jorge.
This is the biggest animation series ever done in Portugal and will soon start on the RTP2 and Panda channel.

ARThood Selects competition "Great Promise"

The ARThood Selects competition "Great Promise" is open to all Arthood members (membership is free) who wish to give further exposure to their art.

Submited works must be the artist's concept and creation, available for sale and part of the artist's images in the ARThood Gallery Store. Additionally, participants must agree to the Official Rules.
Artists can only enter one work. There is no participation fee.

The selected artwork(s) will be featured on the ARThood home page as part of the "Great Promise" online exhibition and will be included in the "Great Promise" exhibition in New York City in Spring 2012, where a private reception to showcase and sell the artworks will take place.

A percentage of the proceeds will benefit The Watermill Center, a laboratory for performance founded by Robert Wilson as a unique environment for emerging and established artists from around the world to explore new ideas.

The deadline to enter the ARThood Selects "Great Promise" art contest is March 11, 2012.

According to the juror of the contest, Zev Eisenberg, the theme "Great Promise" does not place any restraints on the artist's creativity, thus permiting a free interpretation of the theme.

Zev Eisenberg is the former Director of Mallick Williams and Co. Gallery in New York and the Director of Strategic Marketing for ARThood.

3rd Annual Nature & Wildlife Art Exhibition: Call for Artists

The St. Augustine Art Association, FL. has launched a call for entries regarding its 3rd Annual Nature & Wildlife Art Exhibition, with over $4000 in prizes.

This exhibition, open to all artists worldwide over the age of 18, seeks to explore nature in all of its forms, including the great outdoors, fauna and flora (i.e. landscapes, seascapes, floral, plant life, wild animals, marine life, birds, etc.)

Entrants may submit up to 3 original 2D or 3D pieces (consult specifications) created within the past 3 years and not exhibited in previous STAAA exhibits. Entries must be the original created piece of artwork, with the exception of photography and original printmaking. Other kinds of reproduction will be excluded.
Works that reference hunting or taxidermy will not be eligible.
Human elements cannot be present, except on the rare occasion where those human elements enhance the nature story.

The artist has to mail the completed and signed the entry form, together with the images (300dpi) on CD and the payment ($35/STAAA members, $45/non members) until March 2, 2012.

Accepted artwork can be hand delivered to the St. Augustine Art Association Sun, Apr 22, 2-5pm or Mon, Apr 23, 12-4pm.
Shipped work must be delivered by Wed, Apr 18. A Pre-paid Return Shipping Label AND separate $40 handling check (besides the entry fee(s)) made payable to STAAA must be included with the
package. No packing peanuts are allowed and no glass on shipped artwork.

Selected artists will be contacted on the week of Week of Mar 19, 2012.

The PhotoFest Meet & Greet will take place on Wed, Apr 25, 6-8pm by invitation only(No awards presented) and the Exhibit Awards Dinner will happen on Sat, Apr 28, 5-9pm; Ticket info to be sent with acceptance notice.

Artwork Pick-up: Sun, May 27, 2-5pm
Unclaimed art will incur a $5/day storage fee.
Works cannot not be removed from the gallery before the end of the exhibit.

All artwork must be for sale. Sales will be handled by the STAAA, which will retain 40% of the selling price.
The gallery reserves the right to reproduce accepted artwork for promotional purposes.

Before submiting to St. Augustine Art Association's 3rd Annual Nature & Wildlife Art Exhibition, make sure that you read the participating rules and conditions carefully.

BP Portrait Award 2012

The call for entries to the BP Portrait Award 2012 closes on the 13th of this month.

Open to everyone 18 years of age or over on 1 January 2012, this prestigious annual competition sponsored by BP, seeks to encourage artists to develop their skills and creativity in portraiture.

The First Prize winner will receive a cash award of £25,000, plus, at the judges’ discretion, a commission worth £4,000, to be agreed between the National Portrait Gallery and the artist.

A Second Prize of £8,000, a Third Prize of £6,000, a BP Travel Award 2010 worth £5,000 and the BP Young Artist Award in the value of £5,000, will be attributed.

All entrants aged between 18 and 30 as of January 2012, will automatically be considered for both the BP Young Artist Award and the BP Portrait Award, but an individual cannot win both.

Entrants can register online or by regular post, however since the deadline is February 13, entering online is the best option.
The entry fee for this competition is £34

Read the rules carefuly before submiting the entry form, namely which media and supports can be used and sizes.

Now in its thirty-third year, the BP Portrait Award 2012 exhibition will run at the National Portrait Gallery, London, from 21 June to 23 September 2012.

Manifest Gallery: International Drawing Annual 7 (INDA 7)

The Manifest Gallery is accepting submissions for the International Drawing Annual 7 (INDA 7) award, open to all artists submitting original works of art or design, completed within the last three years (2009-2011).

Participants are invited to submit a wide range of themes and subjects, including but not limited to fine art, illustration, graphic, digital, architectural, design, technical, etc.
Works can be completed in any media applicable to the practice of drawing, such as painting, installation, sculpture, photography, printmaking, etc.

Although the award is open to all artists, independently of their experience, it's important to stress that all submited works must evidence a high quality drawing.
Artists who previously exhibited at Manifest or had work included in our publication projects are perfectly eligible to submit.

INDA 7 also includes call for writing about drawing, where entrants are invited to write an essay directly relevant to the practice of drawing.
The essay can be in any form or style (poetic, historical, technical, philosophical) and must be original, with proper citation for quoted material. Length of written entries should be limited to a max. of approximately 1500 words.
It's possible to participate in both entries, drawing and writing, keeping in mind that written entries should not be an artist statement nor referring to specific works.

Each work submitted (drawn or written) must be accompanied by a $10 non-refundable entry fee, paid by U.S. check or money order made payable to MANIFEST, or by credit card via PayPal.
The number of entries is unlimited, although the average number of works submitted to typical Manifest calls is three. Detail images may be included at no additional cost but should only be provided when necessary to reveal accurate understanding of the artwork. Images must have print-quality.
Written entries, in either Word or PDF format, must be submitted electronically via e-mail attachment and file names must follow the same guidelines provided for images.
Careful refer to the participating guidelines to make sure that your submission is accepted by the juri.

The International Drawing Annual (INDA 7) will offer three cash prizes of $700, $200, and $100 for first, second, and third place winners of the drawing entries.
Artists selected for inclusion in the INDA 7 publication will also be considered for the Selections from the International Drawing Annual exhibit, scheduled for April/May 2012.

Each artist/author selected for inclusion in the INDA will receive one complimentary copy of the publication. The books produced for this ongoing project have increased in page count and print quality each year, with the most recent publication reaching over 180 pages in length.

An Internet-based online International Drawing Annual Resource website will be published to accompany the printed Annual. This will feature statements, bios, contact info., and professional information for each person included.

INDA 7 will be juried by a 9-12 member panel of professional and academic advisors with a broad range of expertise. The jury will then pass along their scores to the project curator who will assemble the final selections from the jury-approved pool.

Materials can be sent via e-mail or regular mail.
The deadline for entry is December 31, 2011.