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South Africa's first National Portrait AwardSanlam10/17/2012 15:17:17 
Sanlam Private Investments (SPI), in partnership with Durbanville’s Rust-en-Vrede Art Gallery, has launched a national award. This will celebrate and showcase the best original portrait artwork in South Africa. The first recipient of the SPI National Portrait Award will be named in August 2013 and will receive a significant monetary prize of R100 000. The winning work – as well as around 40 other outstanding entries - will tour South Africa in an exhibition presented in collaboration with the Sanlam Art Collection and VISI magazine. Portraiture holds a significant place in Western art tradition and the award aims to shine the spotlight firmly on this evocative and celebrated genre. South African artists from all walks of life are challenged to enter works which exemplify their ability in the medium of their choice (excluding lens-based artwork, i.e. video, film, photography), within the context of past and contemporary art history. A panel of three judges will identify the winning portrait and select additional works for the national touring exhibition. All works will be judged anonymously as artists are requested not to sign their work. The judges will be announced shortly, and the panel will be convened by Stefan Hundt, head of the Sanlam Private Investments Art Advisory Service and Curator of the Sanlam Art Collection. “We feel particularly connected to this new platform for art in South Africa,” says Daniël Kriel, CEO of SPI. “Our expertise lies in wealth management, where we nurture and value close personal relationships with our clients. We know art is a passion for many of our clients, and of increasing investment interest, and few things are more intimate or personal than a portrait. A commissioned portrait can be the height of flattery, or the paragon of vanity, yet remains a defining testament to the person’s individuality.” With beginnings in ancient Egypt and classical Greece, today portraiture features prominently as a specialist practice patronised largely by private corporations, state- and academic institutions. Hundt says that South Africa has had a rich, and at times controversial, experience of portraiture through its social and political history. “Accommodating the intentions of the commissioner and expectations of the subject requires the artist to invoke an extensive repertoire of skills and knowledge to fashion a work of substance that exceeds the minimum requirements of likeness and character.” The SPI National Portrait Award 2013 is open to anyone resident in South Africa older than 21 years. Entries should be received by 19 August 2013. The award ceremony will take place on 27 August 2013 at the Rust-en-Vrede Art Gallery, Durbanville, where the selected works will be on exhibition and open for public viewing from 28 August 2013 until 8 October 2013. For more information on the competition, entry forms and competition rules, please go to www.spiportraitaward.co.za or call Monica Ross on tel. 021 976 4691. Sanlam Private Investments Sanlam Private Investments (SPI) is a private client wealth management business which engages on an individual basis with high net worth individuals and their families to design, deliver and personally manage bespoke investment solutions for both South African and international clients. SPI provides a comprehensive and holistic suite of integrated wealth management services, including multi-asset class investment advice, stockbroking and portfolio management, fiduciary and tax services, a range of non-transactional banking services, and South Africa’s first specialist art advisory service. Established in 1999 and headquartered in Cape Town, the SPI team comprises 400 people across 23 international offices, managing R120bn in assets under management and administration for 30,000 clients. Distributed by: Elysa Miller Account Manager Atmosphere Communications Tel: 021 469 1572 / 072 142 5159 E-mail: elysa@atmosphere.co.za Twitter handle: atmospherecomms On behalf of: Kate Fordyce Head of Marketing Sanlam Private Investments Tel: 021 950 2966 / 083 453 2750 E-mail: katef@spi.sanlam.com Twitter handle: @spimastermind |
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