- Competition aims to nurture and encourage young talents
- Fundraising aspect enables students to showcase and give back to community through the sale of winning entries via online charity auction
- Proceeds to benefit The Business Times Budding Artists Fund
SINGAPORE 25 May 2021 – In aid of The Business Times Budding Artists Fund (BT BAF), charity arts organisation TRCL today launched a youth visual art competition, the 13-19 Art Prize that is supported by The Business Times.
The competition offers all youths, aged 13 to 19, residing in Singapore the opportunity to express themselves and have their potential recognized by creating canvas and digital artworks on any theme or subject. There are four categories of winners: Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Jury Prize. The Jury Prize recognises promising young artists whose artworks deserve special mention. Gold winners receive a cash prize of $800 each, Silver winners $600 each, Bronze winners $400 each, and Jury Prize winners $400 each.
Youths in secondary schools, international schools, art school and institutions – SOTA, LASALLE College of the Arts and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) – as well as tertiary institutions are encouraged to stretch their creative potential by taking part.
Registration for the 13-19 Art Prize is now open and we ask students to register and make use of the June holidays to start working on their submissions for the Art Prize. With the recent rise in community cases of Covid-19 infections among children and youth, we hope that the competition will be a source of excitement and motivation for them, and will keep them meaningfully occupied at home.
As an advocate for the arts, TRCL has organised a variety of art auctions and exhibitions, mostly by youth for youth, in aid of The Business Times Budding Artists Fund. The Fund supports children from underserved communities by providing them an education in visual arts, music, theatre, dance, and digital art. Through this competition, TRCL hopes to impart values, create a culture of healthy artistic expression and build confidence in the next generation.
Ms Genii Koh, Chairperson of the 13-19 Art Prize Advisory Committee, Board Member of TRCL, says: “We are delighted to have the support of The Business Times on a project which nurtures and recognizes young talents. As advocates of the arts in Singapore, we hope that this platform engages and empowers our youths to develop their unique voices. The fundraising auction of winning artworks will help them realize that their pursuit of creativity can benefit other young persons in the community.”
Ms Tan See Kia, Member of the 13-19 Art Prize Advisory Committee and Head of the Junior Art Department, School of Young Talents at NAFA commented: “This competition fills a gap in the visual art landscape particularly for teenagers. The Art Prize offers talented young artists in this often-overlooked age group a good opportunity to share their perspectives and showcase their artistic accomplishments.”
Submissions will be judged by our panel of judges comprising local well-known artists and art professionals based on concept, creativity/originality, aesthetic quality (design, composition and colour/tones) and technical skills.
The announcement of winners is on Wednesday, 8 Dec 2021. Winning artworks will be exhibited and auctioned to the public online. All proceeds from the sale of the artworks will go to the BT BAF.
Mr Wong Wei Kong, Editor of The Business Times, and Board Member of TRCL, said: “We hope that through this competition, young visual art students will be empowered knowing their talents are given visibility. Through the use of their talent, they also have the power to help those in need. We look forward to seeing what the next generation is communicating to our community and to the world at large.”