Okanagan College Launches Green Art Competition

Okanagan College will be hosting an environmentally focused event that will fuse intellect and creative expression through an art competition.

Earth Matters will features speakers on four themes including biodiversity, water resources, waste and climate change. Artists are encouraged to participate in the event through environmentally themed works of art. The competition is open to both new and experienced artists and participants are asked to create two dimensional environmentally themed art that encompasses one of the themes.

"We are organizing this competition and symposium for a number of reasons," explains Kathleen Jagger, College Professor in the Department of Geography and Earth & Environmental Science. "First and foremost, we intend to highlight the link between creative expression and academic study in the natural and social sciences.”

Entries are not limited to any specific medium or genre, but it should invoke a greater appreciation for the environment and perhaps inspire new ideas or solutions to current problems.

“We have scheduled academic talks in four areas of environmental science, and each area will be showcased and augmented by artwork submitted by artists who choose to express their connections with the environment through the medium of art,” says Jagger. “This forum will bring together various perspectives on current issues with the aim of moving us all toward more connection with the topics of biodiversity, water, waste and climate change.”

Physically, original works should be no larger than 45x75cm (20x30”). All entries must be submitted in digital format for judging (visit okanagan.bc.ca/earthmatters for contest specifics and instructions) and need to be accompanied by an artist statement that explains the work. All entries must be submitted electronically through the site by March 20^th, 2015.

There are two categories for entrants: students in Grades 10 to 12 and an adult category open to those 18 and older. Entrants must be residents of the Okanagan College region. In the secondary school category, first-place winners in each theme area will receive a $500 tuition bursary to Okanagan College. In the open category (aged 18 and over), winners in each theme area will receive a one-day workshop with internationally-acclaimed nature artist Terry Isaac at his studio in Penticton. All entries will be displayed digitally at the symposium. In addition, each of the eight first-place works will be professionally framed (if appropriate) and presented to the symposium by the artist.

From the pool of winning entries, a “best-of-show” selection will be made and the winner will receive a signed (and framed) print donated by well-known Canadian wildlife artist Robert Bateman. Winners will be contacted by March 25 and will be required to provide the original work to Okanagan College directly (any campus) by April 1 in order to be framed for the symposium on April 9.