NMK National Heritage Art Competition for youth 18 – 25 years old: Room for Giants – Art for Change, by Nov. 7 2014

Ibuka: Room for Giants | Photo via NMK

Are you 18 – 25 years old?
Are you creative and innovative?
And are you ready to share your talent for a worthy cause?

Then Wild Life Africa (WLA) and the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) are collaborating with Ibuka and Maller Market ltd to give you an opportunity to help promote the role of art in enhancing wildlife conservation awareness.

And how do we propose that you do this? By participating in the NMKNational Heritage Art Competition for youth 18 – 25 years old whose 2014 theme is “Room for Giants: Art for Change” and donating your winning piece to raise funds for the conservation of wildlife.

Participation is encouraged from artists living in all regions in Kenya. The artwork must address conservation of wildlife. All submitted artworks will go through a panel of judges and only forty (40) artworks will be selected for the national competition and exhibition. The Gala will be held at the Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club in December 2014. The artworks will then move to Nairobi National Museum for a two months exhibition.

The grand prize is a fully sponsored world class experience of Kenya’s rich natural heritage in a top wildlife destination where the winner will spend quality time with an internationally renowned artist in a 2 weeks personalized art apprenticeship program; a unique combination of fun, heritage and art!

If you are interested in participating in this competition please read the concept and details below:

THE CONCEPT: “Room for Giants: Art for Change”
Room for Giants: Room for giants refers to the opportunity the project is providing for the conservation of Kenya’s magnificent wildlife. It also refers to the opportunity this project is providing today’s young artists as they forge their way to becoming tomorrow’s Masters.

Art for change: How can an artist use his creativity to create change in our society? Art for change is based on the principle of providing artists an opportunity to give back to the community. The project aims to use art to create positive change in the way we address conservation matters.

RULES FOR ENTRY:
• The artist is free to capture any aspect of conservation of wildlife in his or her best way using visual arts.
• Open to Kenyan youth between 18 – 25yrs old
• Size of work should range between 50cm x 50m and 100cm x 100cm
• Artist is free to use any material of choice that is durable and easy to transport
• Paintings on canvas should be stretched or framed, paintings on paper should be framed
• You should submit your art to Nairobi National Museums or any of these museums: Karen Blixen Museum, Fort Jesus Museum, Kisumu Museum, Kitale Museum, Wajir Museum, Nyeri Museum and Kenyatta House Maralal.
• Deadline for submissions 7th November 2014. Submissions made after this date will be disqualified.
• Artworks that do not adhere to the theme and concept will be disqualified.
• Selected artworks will not be returned to the artists and will be sold during the gala night to raise funds for the conservation of wildlife.
• The following details should be submitted with the artwork (stick the information at the back of the artwork):
o Full name of the artist, telephone contact, postal address and email
o A brief write up about you.
o Title of the art work, and a description of maximum 100 words.
o Medium used (state whether you have used oil paint, water colour, stone, wood etc)
o Indicate that the artwork is for Room for Giants: Art for Change competition and Exhibition 2014

All participants will receive certificates of participation.

PRIZES:
1st Prize: a fully sponsored world class experience of Kenya’s rich natural heritage in a top wildlife destination where the winner will spend quality time with an internationally renowned artist in a 2 weeks personalized art apprenticeship program.

2nd Prize: A tour to Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Reserve on the Kenyan Coast, the largest stretch of coastal dry forest remaining in Eastern Africa and the second in Africa in birdlife conservation. This package includes visits to artists’ studios, galleries and museums in the coast region.

3rd Prize: A voucher of Kes 50,000 to purchase art materials
All the 40 young artists who will be selected for the national competition will also participate in an artist’s residency that will be facilitated by a team of East Africa’s top professional artists. The residency will happen at the end of the project and is aimed at providing the artists with a great opportunity for exposure and learning.

For more information contact any of the following:
• Ibuka on Tel 0714 169696 or 0775 241578. (browse https://www.facebook.com/ibukacommunity)
• The Art curator NMK on art@museums.or.ke

You can also talk to the curator of an NMK museum close to you for assistance.