The Elora Festival has announced the winners of its art competition, which was part of the 30th anniversary celebrations of the event.
First place prize of $1,500 was won by David Wilcox, of Elora, for his photograph Mill Sunset. His imagery will be used on marketing materials for the 2009 season. The original artwork from all three winners was donated to the festival by the artists and will be auctioned at an Elora Festival fundraiser later in the year.
Second place and $1,000 was awarded to Doug Sibley, of Guelph, for his photograph, Falling For Song.
Third place and $500 went to Kim Stewart, of Salem, for her acrylic work, The Voice of Many Waters.
The meeting minutes from a 1979 Three Centuries Festival (now the Elora Festival) board meeting mention an art exhibition to be run in conjunction with the Wellington County Museum and Archives. That competition was taken over by the Elora Arts Council in 1985, and is now the popular Insights, which takes place each summer at the Wellington County Museum and Archives, and is the longest running jurored art exhibit in Ontario.
Juror chairman for the 2009 competition was John Kissick, Director of the School of Fine Art and Music at the University of Guelph, and former chairman of the Elora Festival.
“We were amazed at the number of submissions,” said Kissick. “Choosing only three winners was not an easy task.”
Co-chairman of the competition was Shirley Al, who also serves as chairman of Insights.
“For years festival posters were collectible works of art,” said Al. “I know many people who have framed collections. The fact that volunteers from the Elora Festival established Insights 30 years ago is a great marriage between the origins of the two organizations. It’s wonderful that the 30th anniversary will be celebrated by going back to its roots.”
The 30th anniversary of the Elora Festival runs from July 10 to Aug. 2.
