The Kingston Prize

THE INAUGURATION OF THE PRIZE

The Kingston Prize for Contemporary Canadian Portraiture will be awarded for the first time in the fall of 2005. A jury will select from the entries a number of paintings to be exhibited, and will award the Prize of $3,000. It is intended that the Prize will be awarded annually.

The rules limit entries to portrait paintings by Canadian artists of Canadian subjects. The paintings must have been painted from life, within 24 months prior to the closing date of June 30, 2005. Entry will be by slide, and the paintings selected by the jury will be exhibited in Kingston in October. The Entry Form is available for download.

THE WORLD OF NATIONAL PORTRAIT COMPETITIONS

Canada has an abundance of talent in the visual arts, including many portraitists, but has not yet entered the world of national portrait competitions. Greater recognition of the visual arts through prizes is long overdue, and this initiative of the Kingston Arts Council is intended to attract the interest of all Canadian artists.

An annual event focused on Canadian portraits will, over the years, build a public record of Canadians as seen by contemporary artists. In addition to those portraits that subsequently go into public galleries and corporate collections, many others will be treasured in private homes and collections, enriching the lives of those who see them.