Dear Grand Prix Artists,
Thank you for registering for the 11th Annual Grand Prix of Art. Please read the following information carefully about this year’s event as we have made some important changes to keep our community safe.
The event is organised and sponsored by the Travelling Brush, a division of Phoenix Art Workshop in the heart of Steveston Village. Please help make this year’s event safe and successful by sharing the event with your family and friends with a reminder to bring masks.
***Please go to our Artists page and look up your race number for your arrival time. This year artists will have 4 hours from their start time to return with their painting wired & ready to hang. Give yourselves time to return, frame or wire your painting before submitting your work (if you have a 10:00 am start, you must submit your work by 2:00 pm). Let visiting spectators know they can find your painting location if they visit your profile on the event website’s Artists page where it is linked to an interactive google map of all 32 painting locations. Your start time corresponds to the last digit in your competition number: Please do NOT ar rive more than 30 minutes before your start time. If you have requested to paint with someone else, all of your start times will be 10:00 am regardless of your competition number.
*ending in 1, 2 or 3 your start time is 9:30 am submission deadline is 1:30 pm *ending in 4 , 5, 6 or 7 your start time is 10:00am submission deadline is 2:00pm *ending in 8, 9 or 0, your start time will be 10:30 am submission deadline is 2:30 pm
CHECK-IN & BEYOND: Please leave your painting gear in your car until after you have checked in. Present your printed or digital ticket to the volunteer at Britannia’s Chinese Bunkhouse (see Google map). Masks are mandatory in all indoor spaces, and we ask that you wear them when social distancing is not possible (see other covid precautions and protocols at the end of this email). Once you have your lanyard, you can hurry off to your painting location and paint for as long as you like, provided you return in time to submit your framed or hangable artwork 4 hours after your official start time. You must paint at or within sight of your event flag. RETURNING TO BRITANNIA SHIPYARDS: After submitting your artwork along with your completed artwork tag, please enjoy our picnic lunch provided by the Steveston Bakery and the sweet sound of Swing2Beat. There will be a table and chairs, extra tents and umbrellas. We encourage you to bring a picnic blanket and relax a little while the rest of the artists return from the field and the work is being adjudicated.
Artwork Tag must include a Title, Medium, Price, and Location Number (please do not stick your Artwork Tag to the artwork). A 20% commission is charged on all sold artwork.
WHAT IS IN MY LANYARD? At Check-in, all artists will receive event Lanyards with your painting location, Name Tag, Artwork Tag, Lunch Ticket, Raffle Ticket, and a Social Distance Public Reminder. While painting on location, please wear your lanyard on your back, as a reminder to the public not to encroach on your personal space. At the end of your event, don’t forget to recycle your lanyard, giving it to a volunteer or returning it to the information booth at the event field.
JUDGING: The judging will take place as works are being displayed by professional artists and experienced instructors. 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prizes in each category will be announced at our 4:00 pm ceremony. There are three major criteria:
How well did the artist capture the spirit of their allocated location
How well did the artist use their chosen medium
Over all composition and creativity
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD: Richmond’s own Penta Building has sponsored this award. Ballots will be given out to the spectators, who will have the opportunity to choose their favourite work of art in the show. Limited ballots will be given out this year, with announcements at the end of the day if possible.
INSTAGRM TO WIN. yes it is back … prizes for best Photo and best selfie, Our Volunteer Photographers event Photographers are going to help me choose the winners and the prizes are great. Use the hasttag #grandprixbc @travellingbrush @grandprixofart open to all visitors, family and fiends.
FOOD TRUCKS: Salty’s Lobster Shack, Mama’s Fish & Chips and Sweet Surrender Gelato will be on site from noon – 6:00 pm for guests, partners or family members.
MUSIC: Four musical groups are playing at two different fields this year to spread the crowds out as much as possible. Swing2Beat will be playing at the artist picnic area, but you can check the home page of our website if you are curious to see what musical fun we have lined up at the exhibition field.
WHAT TO BRING? Make a list of all your supplies you may need like brushes, paints, pencils, painting surface (prepared canvas, paper, or other substrates, no smaller than 8”x10” and no larger than 18”x24”), an easel, painting board, portable chair, paper towels or rags, water bucket. ( Change of clothes and rain gear if the weather is not nice). Warm clothes, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, insect repellent snacks, water bottle (there will be a water refill station at check-in and several in the village). All painting locations have cover for shade or
shelter. Rain or shine … the event will go on!
PREPARING YOU PAINTING FOR DISPLAY: Not all artwork needs to be framed but must be prepared for exhibition hanging. Please prepare your canvas or frame in advance with eyelets or d-rings and picture wire. (String or masking tape are not acceptable in any scenario). We can not hang document frames with sawtooth hangers. Paperbound artworks should be behind glass, and for those who are painting in oils, please communicate that to the volunteer when you submit your work to the exhibition, and they will include a “Wet Paint” sign to be hung beside the artwork to prevent damage.
WHEN CAN I PICK UP MY ARTWORK: Please make sure your artwork tag has been filled out so we can identify your painting. Return your lanyard when you pick up your unsold artwork at 5:30 pm. Sold artwork will be picked up at 6:00 pm by presenting a paid receipt. Artists who have sold work are asked to recycle their event lanyard at the information booth. We will mail out Artists’ cheques within one week.
*** Unless previous arrangements have been made, all unclaimed artwork will be donated.
COVID SAFETY FIRST:
We are fortunate to be able to host the event this year, but we have had to make some provisions to ensure everyone’s safety, and see that social distance measures are adhered to.
Mask wearing is mandatory in any indoor building on the site or off ( please wear your masks regardless of your vaccination status). The Chinese Bunkhouse has a Covid capacity of 15 people, which will be strictly enforced. Works of art will be displayed outdoors under six tents this year. Visitors are only permitted to view works from the perimeter of the tent. Please wear your masks while you are viewing artwork or in any lineups on site. There will be sanitisation stations all around the site and small bottles of hand sanitiser at the tables around the artist’s picnic. Painting locations are spread out from London Landing to Garry Park, but we ask that artists please wear their event lanyard this year on their back … reminding the public to respect the artist’s space. In addition, there are a plethora of signs reminding the public to stay safe, wear masks and be kind.
If you are showing any COVID symptoms for the sake of the event, the general public, friends and family, please stay home.
Good luck to all the artists, and thank you for joining us for the Grand Prix of Art in Steveston!
On September 4th, you are all winners, and this day is about celebrating you, our community, and building relationships between artists and the public. Have fun!
Mark Glavina
Don’t forget to follow the event on instagram @grandprixofart
