Dear Grand Prix Artists,
Thank you for registering for the 9th Annual Grand Prix of Art, Steveston!
Please read the following information carefully and feel free to email us if you have questions about the event. The event is organised and sponsored by the Travelling Brush, a division of Phoenix Art Workshop — your art store in the heart of Steveston Village. As the founders of the event we take great pride in making this a “Community First” event, putting the artistic, local business, and residential community’s best interest at heart before anything else as we celebrate artists and our unique community. We rely on the support of our community for donations, volunteers, and marketing this unique event. Please help make this year’s event successful by sharing the event website — www.grandprixofart.com – with your family and friends, who will be able to find your painting location on our interactive map on the Artists Page (on event day you can use the QR code on our event guide to bring you to the website).
Artists will be painting from 10am-1pm, and then will be rewarded with a delicious lunch provided by Steveston Seafood House (extra lunches for non-artist companions must be purchased ahead of time on our Grand Prix registration page under the artist’s name). Friends and family may alternatively want to get lunch at one of the many great restaurants who have partnered with us this year as painting locations. Visitors are encouraged to come to Britannia Shipyards for the Awards Ceremony at 2:45pm, before the Exhibition opens at 3pm. The People’s Choice Award is voted on by everyone who visits the exhibition, with the winner announced at our closing ceremony at 3:45pm on Sunday, September 22.
What to bring:
Suggested Art Supplies:
Brushes, paints, pencils, painting surface (prepared canvas, paper, or other substrate, no smaller than 8”x10” and no larger than 18”x24”), an easel, painting board, portable chair, paper towels or rags, water bucket.
Other Supplies (depending on the weather):
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 your Art for Hanging: Not all artwork needs to be framed, but everything 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 cannot hang frames with sawtooth hangers, so everything must be wired. Artwork on paper should be behind glass, and if you are painting in oils please communicate that to the volunteers when you submit your work to the exhibition, and they with include a “Wet Paint” sign to be hung beside the artwork to prevent damage.
Good luck to all the artists, and thank you for joining us for the Grand Prix of Art in Steveston! On September 22nd you are all winners, and this day is about celebrating you, our community, and building relationships between artists and the public.
Sincerely,
Mark Glavina
Phoenix Art Workshop
www.phoenixartworkshop.com
www.travellingbrush.com
Timeline:
Saturday, September 21st
9:00am: Check-in and Location Lottery opens . . . arrive early so you can stay “ZEN.”
Go to the check-in area at the Chinese Bunk House and present your digital or printed tickets to collect your Event Badges (these contain your Event ID, Lunch Ticket(s), Artwork Tag, and Raffle ticket).
Proceed to the Location Lottery Station, where you will randomly draw your painting location for the day. If you would like to paint at the same location as a friend or partner, please arrive at the check-in area together and tell our event ambassadors at the lottery table you would like to paint at the same location. Special needs and mobility issues can be accommodated, but it is best to let us know in advance.
Proceed to the next station, where our volunteers will give you Event Guides & Maps and answer any questions you have about the event or your specific location.
Head directly to your Painting Locations (see our volunteer drivers if you need a ride to your location) so you have time to set up and plan your painting…in your mind only! You must paint at your assigned painting location, within 15 metres (60 feet) of the numbered flag. Some of these locations have been sponsored by local businesses, so please respect that and paint from that spot. Part of the judging is based on how well you represent the spirit of your assigned location. You are by no means required to include the location sponsor in your painting, but if you can incorporate them into your work it’s a nice gesture. If an issue comes up with your location, please let one of our event ambassadors know and we will help resolve the problem.
***If your location has drop-cloths, please use them to avoid damaging your area! Plastic drop-cloths will be secured to one of the tent legs.***
10:00am: The Gulf of Georgia whistle sounds, marking the start of the race!
Remember that your artwork is judged on:
-How well the artist captures the mood and spirit of the selected location
-How well the artist handles their chosen medium (Oil, Pastel, Acrylic, Watercolour, Pencil, Charcoal, etc.)
-How creative the artwork is with its use of design, medium, concept, and composition
1:00pm: The Gulf of Georgia whistle sounds again, marking the end of the competition!
Please put down your brushes, pack up your belongings, and make your way back to Britannia Shipyards.
There will be a framing station set up in the Chinese Bunk House with some materials available, but these will be shared so you are better off to be prepared with canvasses pre-wired and bring everything you need to make your artwork ready for hanging – artwork without a wire will not be hung!
1:00pm – 1:30pm: Submit your artworks for display and adjudication
Bring your artwork to the Seine Net Loft with your Artwork Tag in hand, not taped to the artwork (it is helpful if your name is permanently written on the back of the artwork). Your Artwork Tag must include a Title, Medium, Price, and your Painting Location. A 20% commission is charged on all sold artwork to support the Richmond Artist Guild.
Lunch, provided by Steveston Seafood House:
After you submit your work you can present your meal voucher at the lunch tent in front of the Chinese Bunk House.
1:45pm: Raffle for Artists and Volunteers at Remax Main Stage at Britannia Shipyards
2:45pm: Awards Ceremony at Remax Main Stage at Britannia Shipyards: Prizes awarded for Masters, Open, and Youth Categories
3:00pm: Exhibition opens to the public for display, purchase, and voting on the People’s Choice Award
5:45pm: Exhibition Closes for the day.
All artwork will remain on display until the end of the exhibition on Sunday, unless pre-event arrangements have been made with the event organisers.
Sunday, September 22rd
10:00pm: Exhibition opens to the public for display, purchase, and voting on the People’s Choice Award
4:00pm: Award Ceremony – People’s Choice Award. Following the awards ceremony, artwork can be picked until 5pm — buyers will pick up sold artwork and artists will pick up all unsold artwork. If you are unable to collect your artwork, please make arrangements with family, friends, or other artists to pick up your work.
*** Unless previous arrangements have been made, all unclaimed artwork will be donated. ***
