On Saturday, July 27th, Steveston was abuzz with artistic energy and community spirit as we celebrated the 14th Annual Grand Prix of Art Steveston. This year’s event was a record-setting success, thanks to the incredible support from our artists, volunteers, and numerous partners. A record number of visitors cheered on the artists at work painting in 40 carefully chosen locations along the historic Steveston waterfront trail.
We are thrilled to highlight our winners across various categories.
In the Youth Category, Jessi Li took first place with her evocative painting, “Fisherman’s Day”. Dennis Popenko was awarded the runner-up prize, and Elena Popenko secured third place. Emily Baxter also received an Honourable Mention for her remarkable work. Congratulations to all our young artists for your exceptional contributions!
In the Open Category, we saw a record-breaking 95 artists participate. Angela Seear won the top prize and the coveted Happy Fellow Cup with her stunning painting, “Tidal Wake.” Lee Iskander was the runner-up with “The Most Coveted Spot,” and Fatehvir Singh took third place with “Steveston.” Pierre Blain received the honourable mention for his rendition of the “Master”. Your creativity and skill made this year’s event truly memorable.
A special highlight was the Rotary Club of Richmond Sunrise Masters Category Michael King won the top prize with his impressive painting, “East London Landing,” and proudly takes home the coveted Dan Gray Cup. Denise Maxwell, with “George on the Pier,” was the runner-up, and Orion Alexis secured third place with “Dinghy among Seiners.” Anna Edels received an Honourable Mention for her beautiful painting, “Follow the Fish.” Your artistic excellence is truly commendable.
This year we added a new award: the Artist Choice Award with Scott Plydell-Pearce’s “masterful”, garnering the most votes from his peers and artist Reha Sakar’s “Steveston Harbour” winning the People’s choice. Congratulations to all the winners!
We extend our deepest gratitude to D’Original Sausage Haus and our dedicated team of volunteers, who served a record number of attendees with flawless efficiency. Many of our volunteers were up at 6 a.m., setting up tents across 40 painting locations in and around Steveston, including our host location, Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site. Our check-in team ensured a smooth process for the record number of artists, allowing them to reach their locations on time and without hassle. The site looked absolutely gorgeous thanks to our team of volunteers in charge of the Artisan Market and decor. We also had a bike lock for the convenience of our visitors, an information booth, and a large team of volunteers in the exhibition space, enabling us to host over 2,000 visitors on both Saturday and Sunday and a record number of paintings being sold 45. A special thank you for our 101 Volunteers and our Volunteer Partner Maryann Burrow for sponsoring Volunteer T-shirts and other related expenses.
As artists returned from the 3 hour painting race , they were greeted by a festive site adorned with race banners, pendants, photo booths, and the lively sounds of Kathryn Sutherland’s “Blue Dirt Girl.” The Exhibition Field was vibrant with 30 amazing craftspeople showcasing their handmade creations in the Made by Hand Artist Market. Visitors enjoyed live music, food trucks, face painting, and interactive activities, including making their own relief prints or cyanotype prints at the Phoenix Art Workshop booth. The field also featured performances by Crab Grass and the Blue Hawks, adding to the day’s lively atmosphere. The energy continued on Sunday as the exhibition of completed works were on display with Murphy and the Cats performing in the Seine Net loft for the Pente Builder’s Group sponsored exhibition,
We would like to recognize and thank our invaluable partners. The Travelling Brush remains the engine that drives this event, but we could not have achieved this success without the unwavering support from our host partners, the City of Richmond’s staff at Britannia Shipyard National Historic Site, and the tireless organization from Phoenix Art Workshop. A sincere thanks to the Rotary Club of Richmond Sunrise for their financial and moral support, as well as their role as our award sponsor. We are also deeply grateful to Maryann Burrows, Penta Builders Group, and Tourism Richmond for their steadfast support. Other community sponsors, including Vancouver Whale Watch, RE/MAX, Steveston Harbour Authority, and our media partners Steveston Insider, What’s on Richmond, and Vancouver Best Places, played crucial roles in promoting and supporting the event.
Business partners Cup Easel, Daniel Smith Paints, Golden-Tenline Sales, and Da Vinci Brushes provided essential prizes and swag bags for our artists. We also extend our thanks to Damiens Waffles and Diego at Clockwork Legacy Coffee, Oasis Event Services, and O’Hare’s Pub for their generous donations for our Instagram contest. Be sure to check out the submissions @grandprixofart with the hashtag #GPart24.
The 14th Annual Grand Prix of Art Steveston was a celebration of artistic talent and community spirit. We look forward to seeing you all next year for another inspiring and memorable event!
Warm regards,
Youth category
Youth 1st Place: Jessi Li, “Fisherman’s Day”
Youth 2nd Place: Dennis Popenko, “The Master”
Youth 3rd Place: Elena Popenko, “Other Side”
Honourable Mention: Emily Baxter, “Happy Boat”
Open Category 1st Place: Angela Seear, “Tidal Wake.”
Open Category 2st Place: Lee Iskander, “The Most Coveted Spot,”
Open category 3rd place: Fatehvir Singh, “Steveston.”
Open honourable mention: Pierre Blain, “Master”.
Master Category 1st place: Michael King, “East London Landing,”
Master Category 2nd Place: Denise Maxwell, “George on the Pier,”
Master Category 3rd : Orion Alexis, “Dinghy among Seiners.”
Master Honourable Mention: Anna Edels, “Follow the Fish.”
People’s Choice : Reha Sakar “Morning at Britannia Shipyards”
Artist’s Choice: Scott Plydell-Pearce “Masterful”
The best and biggest yet. Terrific organizing and work by all the Volunteers. It just keeps getting better..
This was my 3rd time painting in Steveston Plus 2 times in Ladner and then the on line Covid grand Prix. Every
time has been a great experience.