Fri Sep 28 06:24:00 UTC 2012
The Strokes of Genius project aims to empower people through the visual arts, promote new entrants and identify latent talent, and help those lacking in expertise and experience to bring their works to market.
It was with great anticipation that senior government delegates, local art-fanatics, celebraties, members of the media, and finalists and their parents and/or art teachers gathered at Cape Town’s, Artscape Opera Bar on the evening of 26 September 2012.
Earlier this year, Strokes of Genius invited students in grades 10-12 to showcase their artistic talents in the 2012 School Art Competition by submitting paintings (oil or acrylic) or sketches (charcoal or pencil) that portray the theme Our Present to the Future.
A prestigious panel of judges selected their choice of the Top 20 in each category of the almost 300 artwork entries received in total. The panel included Omar Valley, who inter alia, has a passionate interest for art as writer, is art consultant to private and corporate art collectors, is Chairperson of the Cape Friends and curator of the Iqabane network; Janet Botes, who is a multi-disciplinary visual artist and founder of the Green Your Art (GYA) initiative and the SCAPES project; and Janet Ranson, an artist, teacher and author of Arts & Culture textbooks.
From the Top 20, the 12 finalists per category were selected who will each receive R2000 for their works of art and have it photographed for use in the 2013 Strokes of Genius printed calendar. Announcement of the winners was made by the Western Cape Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Dr Ivan Meyer, who stressed the importance of cultural warmth that is created by the youth and reiterated how the success of these young artists not only reflect a part of our heritage, but showcases the passion they have for art and significance of using one’s gift to create opportunities to prosper.
Dr Meyer thanked the artists and Shoprite Checkers for their involvement and indicated that although these artists clearly had talent, the objective of the prizes was to allow the artists to refine their gift at art school.
The winners received a contribution towards furthering their art studies, as well as a contribution towards the development of their school’s art programmes.
The winners in the Sketch Category are:
Winner – Lehlohonolo Ngwenya (Grade 12) from the Technical High School in Klerksdorp with his sketch titled “The past into the future: District 9”, who receives a tertiary education policy worth R50 000 and R10 000 cash towards his school’s art programme development.
2nd place – Patricia van der Merwe (Grade 12) from Pearson High School in Port Elizabeth with her sketch “The Gift of Hope”, who receives a tertiary education policy worth R35 000 and R8 000 cash for her school.
3rd place – Gasant Adams (Grade 12) from the Frank Joubert Art Centre at Rylands High School in Athlone with his sketch called “Phantom City”, who receives a tertiary education policy worth R15 000 and R5 000 cash for his school.
The winners in the Paintings Category are:
Winner – Jessica Armitage (Grade 12) from High School Bergvliet in Cape Town with her painting entitled titled “Journey to Hope”, who receives a tertiary education policy worth R50 000 and R10 000 cash towards her school’s art programme development.
2nd place – Tofunmi Olagoke (Grade 11) from Crawford College in Pretoria with her painting titled “Evolution of the Mind”, who receives a tertiary education policy worth R35 000 and R8 000 cash for her school.
3rd place – Jolanda van Rooyen (Grade 11) from High School Zwartkops in Pretoria with her painting called “Raise your voice”, who receives a tertiary education policy worth R15 000 and R5 000 cash for her school.
Mr Brian Weyers, General Manager: Marketing and Product Development at Shoprite Checkers, ended the formalities with a quote from artist Pablo Picasso, “There are painters who transform the sun into a yellow spot, but there are others how with the help of art and their intelligence transform a yellow spot into the sun”, stating that Shoprite’s wish for more young aspiring artists to transform their yellow spots.
