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.

Remains found beneath the floor of a convent in Florence may belong to Mona Lisa

 It all began last year, when a team of archaeologists started digging at the abandoned Convent of Saint Ursula (St.Orsola), where they would soon discover a female human skull along with other fragments of human ribs and vertebrae five feet under the convent's original floor. For the team, that crypt located under the remains of the altar, was Lisa Gherardini's final resting place.
However, the digging works were suspended due to the lack of funds and only recently, the team of archaelogists was able to resume their work.

 According to archaelogist Silvano Vinceti, who is in charge of the dig , his search in the convent was based on church records found by historian Giuseppe Pallanti a few years ago. Records from 1495 mention a crypt that was accessed by the archaelogists via a grate followed by a staircase. The second crypt found by the team, where they believe to be the bones belonging to Mona Lisa, is mentioned in the records from 1625.

 During his extensive research, Pallanti found several significant documents, including Francesco del Giocondo's will, where he asked his younger daughter Marietta to take care of his "beloved wife" Lisa.
Marietta was one of the couple's five children and at the time of the will had become a nun, thus she brought her mother to the nearby convent of Saint Ursula, where she would remain for the rest of her life.

 Pallanti found in the church archive, a document known as "Book of the Dead," where it states the following: "Lisa di Francesco del Giocondo died on July 15, 1542 and was buried in Sant'Orsola."
The document noted that the whole parish turned out to her funeral, demonstrating that Lisa was renowned among the Florentine society.

 Vinceti said that the newly discovered remains will undergo DNA testing, radiocarbon dating and hystological analysis. Comparisons will eventually be made with the DNA of Lisa's children Bartomoleo and Piero, who are buried in the church of Santissima Annunziata in Florence.

 Should the tests confirm that those bones belong to a female skeleton, according to Silvano Vinceti there will be two possibilites: Either they belong to Lisa Gherardini or to the noblewoman Maria del Riccio, since according to historic records, only these two women, who were not nuns, were given special burials in the convent.

 In the outcame of a positive confirmation that not only the bones but also the skull belong to Lisa Gherardini, forensic artists will attempt to reconstruct her face to see how it compares with the portrait painted by Leonardo da Vinci near 500 years ago. Maybe it will also help to solve or at least shed some light upon Mona Lisa's enigmatic smile.

 Known in Italy as La Giconda or La Joconde in France, Lisa Gherardini (June 15, 1479 - July 15, 1542) was married to the wealthy Florentine silk merchant Francesco del Giocondo. Among the experts exists the concensus that she was the inspiring muse who posed for the most famous portrait in the world: Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa.

José Hermano Saraiva (1919-2012) - The 'historyteller' passed away

Born in Leiria, Portugal, on 3 October 1919, the Portuguese historian José Hermano Saraiva, became a dear figure to all those who during the last decades assisted to his TV show Horizontes da Memória, where he passionately shared his immense knowledge about the Portuguese history and its relation to the world during several centuries.

  He passed away today, 20 July 2012 in Palmela, at the age of 92. José Hermano Saraiva will endure through our collective memory.

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.

When Selling Online is Not an Option For an Artist

 In the recent years, internet assumed an almost indespensable role in the artist's life.
From exposure to selling, internet allows artists to show their work to a worldwide audience, something that years ago was only accessible to renowned ones. This fact has been mostly welcomed by young and emerging artists who strive with great difficulty to get there work into a gallery.

 But together with the swift expansion of the internet, arrived a large number of artists with their own websites, either developed by themselves or recurring to web services that aggregate  websites for artists in a common platform.
The task of getting one's work noticeable among all these websites has become a time consuming task that often takes artists from their creative process. Selling or being represented by a brick and mortar gallery is therefore a serious objective to be considered.

 Many artists sell their art through several venues, including online, at their studio or through galleries.
We are not here to discuss which venue is better. Each artist will have to discover that throughout his/her career. However it's hardly arguable that being represented by a gallery is in the plans of most artists and is seen as a top achievement in one's artistic career, besides getting into a museum but that's another story.

 Working with a good gallery also enables artists to concentrate on their art and artistic development, while the gallery makes its best to promote their work. It's a common interest afterall.

 Although many galleries will have no problems with their artists selling online or on their own (as long as they observe certain rules), there are those that will work solely with artists who only sell through galleries, be it with an exclusivity contract or not. This will depend on several factors, including territorial boundaries that can go from a small town to a country or even worldwide.

 The Art Inquirer contacted with a representative of a well-established gallery that does not represent artists who sell online or at their studi. However most of them have their art available for viewing online, which is good for gaining exposure for their work and for the gallery that represents them.

 In his own words, he explains the reasons for this fact:

«We believe artists should have and maintain their own web presence and we have no problem with those who choose to represent and sell their own work. We just aren't going to represent those who do. The main reason we take the stand we do is in order to clearly define and establish the integritiy of that aritst's market.

It is not beneficial for us as a gallery to be in direct competition with the artists's whose careers we are trying to advance. This is harmful for the legitimate establishment of the artist's retail market not to mention the eventual tarnishing of the reputation of the artist as well as undermining of the gallery.

This relationship allows the artist to concentrate on being an artist and allows the gallery to focus on being a retail market.»

«We represent artists who have websites. We just don't represent artists who sell their work directly to the public. In fact most of our artists have their own website, however, we (or their other galleries) handle their sales and when collectors try to sidestep the galleries the artists refer the collectors back to the galleries.»

 Artists share different points of view about this. To give you a better understanding about what they think and their experience, The Art Inquirer asked their opinion in one of the most famous and most frequented art forums worldwide.

Jubilee Exhibition: 150 Years Gustav Klimt

                                      The Kiss (1907-1908) Oil on canvas

On July 14th, 150 years will have passed since the birth of one of the most famous and admired artists of our time: Gustav Klimt.

 Hosting the largest collection of paintings by the artist worldwide, the Belvedere will present the Jubilee Exhibition: 150 Years Gustav Klimt.
The exhibition will  focus on the significance of each work and the message that conveys to the viewer, and not so much on art historical contexts and stylistic relationships.

 Through an  interdisciplinary approach and descerning selection of objects, complemented with its graphic and multimedia format, the exhibition will take visitors to an entirely new level of understanding on how Gustav Klimt has become a phenomenon not only in art theory, but also in contemporary history over these last 150 years.

 The Jubilee Exhibition: 150 Years Gustav Klimt, will take place between Jul 13, 2012 and Jan 6, 2013 (Daily 10 am to 6 pm - Wednesday 10 am to 9 pm) at the Upper Belvedere’s piano nobile.

20th Curtas Vila do Conde – International Film Festival

20º Curtas Vila do Conde / 2012 from Curtas CRL on Vimeo.

Since its start in 1993, the Curtas Vila do Conde – International Film Festival has gained a deserved recognition as one of the most important short film festivals worldwide.

 In 2012, the Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary with a vast programme that includes films, exhibitions, concerts, perfomances, workshops and parties.
The Curtas Vila do Conde didn't forget the younger audience and has come up with Curtinhas, a section featuring films for kids.

 A retrospective exhibition at the Municipal Theatre, based on the precious assets resulting from the photographic coverage of the last 20 years, as well as a book that compiles interviews with many filmmakers and personalities from the contemporary cinema, collected over the past two decades, are two important details of this Festival, happening between the 7th and 15th of July 2012.

 Home of the Festival since 2009, the Municipal Theatre (Teatro Municipal) includes two auditoriums - Room 1 with 550 seats and Room 2 with 150 seats - where all the sessions and film-concerts will be held.
It will also host other main events and functions, such as the aforementioned photographic retrospective, the Curtinhas' Area, the ticket office, shop and bar.

 Besides its main home, Curtas Vila do Conde will also take place at two other spaces.
From 29 June to 11 November 2012, The Solar - Cinematic Art Gallery presents the exhibition "2012 A Kubrick Odissey", consisted of several works by contemporary creators inspired by the filmmaker.
Centro Memória – Museu Municipal de Vila do Conde will host part of the "2012 A Kubrick Odissey" Exhibition. These events have free admission.

 To learn more about ticket prices, how to get there and where to stay, consult the information page.
A free-pass that includes access to the 16th Short Film Market and a copy of the catalogue, is available for the  most assiduous public.

 The Curtas Vila do Conde – Festival Internacional de Cinema (International Film Festival) is organized by Curtas Metragens CRL, also responsible for the Portuguese Short Film Agency and Estaleiro.

"The Bride" (A Noiva) by Joana Vasconcelos at CENTQUATRE (104)

The cultural space CENTQUATRE (104), in Paris, presents from July 5 through September 18, one of the most important works by the Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos: "The Bride" (A Noiva; La Mariée).

Considered by the critics and by the artist herself, one of her most iconic works, "The Bride" is a 600 x Ø 300 cm chandelier completed between 2001 and 2005, made from stainless steel, cotton thread, steel wire, and over 14,000 OB tampons. Its reflective look results from the plastic that involves the tampons.

After the refuse by Catherine Pégard, Director of the Palace of Versailles to include the chandelier in the exhibition featuring the artist, with several sculptures in the palace and its gardens, the public will now have the chance to visualize Joana Vasconcelos' acclaimed and sometimes controversial sculpture at CENTQUATRE (104).

The preview will take place this Wednesday, 4th of July at 19h00.