More prize money for visual artistes

AFTER YEARS of agitating, visual artistes are finally getting increased prize money.It is the only area which has seen an increase this year. The top prize has gone to $7 500, up from $5 000; the smaller prizes have also been raised to $1 200 from $750.A shift in focus has resulted in greater prominence being given to visual arts this Crop-Over and there have been several innovations.What used to be a Visual Arts Exhibition is now being promoted as a Visual Arts Festival with several mini-exhibitions being set up at venues in and around The City in the lead-up to the final exhibition, which opens  on July 4 at the  Grande Salle.Cultural officer for visual arts at the National Cultural Foundation (NCF), Rodney Ifill, told a media conference yesterday that the exhibitions would be on a ten-day rotation. Members of the public would have an opportunity to choose a winner from each of the exhibitions.“In each of these exhibitions, there will also [be] special evenings of interpretation through art and dance that people can come out and be part of the process and engage in a discourse,” Ifill said.As part of the overall prize, the winner will exhibit his/her works at the Queen’s Park Museum and will also be featured in a magazine.Ifill said the NCF would start some business development initiatives working with the artistes to brand their products as collectibles. (YB)