The City of Vaughan recently launched The Art of Diversity: A Community Art Competition, inviting members of the artistic community to submit original works of art which capture Vaughan’s cultural, religious and racial diversity. The winning artwork will be showcased in the new city hall.
“The Art of Diversity competition is directly aligned with Vaughan Vision 2020, which seeks to support diversity, arts and culture in our City,” said Councillor Alan Shefman, Chair of the Community Equity and Diversity Committee. “This initiative allows emerging and established artists to express their creativity through a unique work of art that the entire community can appreciate and connect with personally.”
The competition, organized by the Community Equity and Diversity Committee with assistance from the Vaughan Arts Advisory Committee, chaired by Ward 4 Councillor Sandra Yeung Racco and the Recreation and Culture Department, encourages artists to focus their creative vision on distinctive aspects of the City’s character.
A jury panel will judge the digital pool of entries based on technical merit, aesthetic quality, creativity and how well the subject interprets the theme of diversity in Vaughan. Only those artists whose work is short-listed for further consideration will be required to submit original artwork. One work of art will be selected for acquisition and displayed in the new Vaughan Civic Centre. In return, the winning artist will receive an honorarium of $3,000.
“The artwork that is chosen to sit in city hall will represent the cultural diversity of our residents in our community”, said Mayor Linda Jackson. “This artistic portrayal of Vaughan will greatly complement the new civic centre.”
All art media is eligible with no limitations in scale and may be either two-dimensional or three-dimensional. Applicants must submit a maximum of two digital images of their original work and a brief artistic statement and artist biography is also recommended.
The submission deadline for digital entries, including all supporting material, is February 26, 2010. Applicants are also required to pay an entry fee of $10 by cheque made payable to the City of Vaughan.
Entry forms and detailed conditions of entry are available online at www.vaughan.ca.
For more information, please contact Sharon Gaum-Kuchar, Arts Coordinator, at 905-832-8544 ext. 7312.
