The first round of judging for the 2023 New Breed Art competition concluded with resounding success, as a total of 33 exceptional artworks were chosen for inclusion in the highly anticipated exhibition starting on 12 October at the Oliewenhuis Art Museum. This year, the competition received a total of 97 entries, reflecting the growing artistic talent within the Free State.
The competition is a proud initiative of PH Attorneys in association with Oliewenhuis Art Museum, The Free State Art Collective and the Art Bank of South Africa.
The panel of judges, comprising distinguished artists and curators, played an important role in the selection process. Ruzy Rusike, Nandipha Mntambo, and Isabelle Grobler brought their wealth of experience and discerning eye to this year's judging.
Nandipha Mntambo, one of the esteemed judges, expressed her admiration for the submissions, stating, "A wonderful selection of works submitted. Inspiring to see all the talent our country and more specifically, the Free State has cultivated." This sentiment echoed the collective sentiment of the judging panel, who were impressed by the calibre of entries.
Isabelle Grobler, another of our esteemed judges, also extended her gratitude, remarking, "Thank you to all the artists who submitted work. It's inspiring to see so many different and diverse voices, approaches, and mediums. The Free State is lucky to have a visionary law firm, PH Attorneys, and a group of tenacious young artists producing work and voicing ideas. Keep going, it's much needed! And good luck to those going through to the second round!"
The selected artworks include a diverse range of styles, mediums, and themes, reflecting the rich tapestry of creative voices within our community. From striking installations to drawings and digital art, each chosen piece promises to captivate and inspire visitors to the exhibition.
The public will play an active part in determining one of the competition winners. The Public Choice Award will go to the artist who receives the most online votes on the official art competition website (www.newbreedart.co.za) and will receive R10 000 in prize money. The voting will be open from 12 October with the opening of the exhibition.
Of the rest of the R110 000 in prize money, R50 000 will be awarded to the winner, R20 000 to the Runner-up and R10 000 each to two Merit Award winners, as decided by the judges. For the first time ever, the competition will this year also introduce a brand-new award category for digital art. This award is proudly sponsored by Rooistoel, a multi-media production company from Bloemfontein, specialising in video productions for business growth.
As we move forward towards the next stage of the New Breed Art 2023 competition, we thank everyone who submitted their work.
Stay tuned for more updates as we prepare to showcase the 2023 New Breed Art Competition works at the Oliewenhuis Art Museum from 12 October - 19 November. The exhibition promises to be a testament to the boundless creativity that defines our region.