Calling all artists: Celebrate Europe Day with EU art workshop

Friday, 1 April 2016 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

In celebration of Europe Day 2016, the European Union (EU) Delegation in Colombo is inviting artists to participate in its ‘United in Diversity’ art workshop. The workshop will not only serve to highlight local talent, but the artists whose paintings are selected will also see their work feature in the Delegation’s 2017 calendar.

Local artists of age 17 and above are invited to explore the multi-faceted theme of ‘United in Diversity’. Artists must send in an A4 version of their proposed artwork along with a concept note explaining briefly how the theme has featured in the work. Artists can enter either as individuals or in groups of a maximum of three people per painting. The proposed artwork must be scanned and sent in along with the concept note to [email protected] before 26 April. A panel will then select the best 15 entries.

These 15 individuals or groups will be invited to scale up their design up to fit in a 120 x 160cm canvas which they will paint in situ at the art workshop to be held on 7 May. Artists will be provided with the canvas and also a starter kit comprising acrylic paints, brushes and pencils. For more information check the EU Delegation FaceBook page https://www.facebook.com/EUDel.Srilanka.Maldives . The art workshop will be open to the public who will be able to come in, watch while the paintings are done and chat to the artists about their work.

“United in Diversity is a very broad theme, which we feel gives artists great scope for creativity and interpretation,” says EU Delegation Chargé d’ affaires Paul Godfrey. “While we would be happy to see the theme interpreted within a local context, we also encourage artists to express their feelings and perceptions of Europe and the EU itself.”

The 15 selected paintings will also be displayed at the official Europe Day celebration, and will then be photographed so that they can be reproduced for use in the Delegation’s annual calendar for 2017.

Europe Day celebrates the political, economic, social and cultural relations between Sri Lanka and European countries. Over the span of half a millennia these interactions were facilitated by migration, trade, tourism, legal and administrative traditions, architecture, sports and language. Today the people of Sri Lanka and Europe continue to engage in these fronts and more, meeting the changing dynamics of bilateral relations in the 21st century and finding strength in the commonalities between the two regions.