Mercia annual art competition
This year is the sixth occasion when the marina, near Willington, has teamed up with the popular annual arts festival.
Encourage artists
As in previous years, the marina wants to encourage artists of all ages and skill levels to submit entries for the competition, which will be judged during the Willington Arts Festival weekend on 13th and 14th of May.The picture shows previous entries in the competition.
Artwork can be created in any medium, from paintings and drawings to sculptures, as well as written entries and photography. The theme for 2017 is Water in Willington.
Three entry levels
There are three entry levels—Professional, Amateur and Junior (aged 18 and under)—which will each be judged over three categories.
The three categories are: 'Visual Arts', including mediums such as drawing, painting, sculpture, knitting and digital arts; 'Words', including poems, typography, stories and creative writing; and 'Photography', which could be black and white, creative or raw images.
Prizes will be awarded to winners in each of the categories plus a prize for the overall winner, as judged by a combination of public votes and a panel of experts. A special prize will also be awarded in recognition of artistic ability.
Extremely popular
Tony Preston, Sales and Marketing Manager for Mercia Marina, explained:
"We're delighted to be involved once again with such a fabulous creative project alongside Willington Arts Festival.
"The competition has proved to be extremely popular, and the number of entries has grown year on year by around 50%. Although the quality of artwork has been very high, we're keen to encourage people of all ages and ability to enter.
"We have such a wealth of talent in the region, and choosing a theme such as Water in Willington, we especially hope to encourage budding artists to get outside and gain some inspiration from our beautiful surroundings."
The the marina will be hosting a private reception on Friday, 12th May for all competition entrants.