Visitors and locals alike were able to see artists with easels on the streets creating pieces of work for the WSP Solicitors, Art in the City open competition, with pieces influenced by their impression of the city on the day. There was a prize fund of £3800 and a top prize of £1500.
Judged by artists P J Crook, Richard Parker Crook, Swarez and Russell Haines there was a whole range of different media and techniques used by competitors including lithograph, pastels, oils and other mixed media. The top prize was won by Viviene Townsend with runner up Max Hale and the winner of the student prize was Emilia Grace Steele. Upon awarding the top prize, internationally renowned artist P J Crook commented on the high quality of the participants and in particular the technical skill and sense of movement of the winning piece and the way that the painting caught the spirit of the city on that day.
During the weekend over all genre of visual arts were represented with demonstrations and workshops of sculpture, life drawing, watercolours, print, charcoal and dozens of other techniques, with hundreds of people of all ages and across every part of the community taking part. There were also pop-up galleries and free arts workshops in dozens of locations around the city.
One area that was a great attraction for visitors was the Street Art installation in Kings Square with some top UK and international artists taking part. Some of these pieces along with entrants to the art in the city competition will continue to be displayed throughout August in various locations around the city.
Art in the city is organised by Marketing Gloucester working with whole range of partners including Hype Street Art and Artists Collaborate. Funding for the event was provided through grants form Arts Council England, Gloucester City Council and is part of SoMAC – Gloucester’s Summer festival of Music Arts and Culture, sponsored by WSP Solicitors and Listers Toyota.
Jason Smith Chief Executive of Marketing Gloucester commented “The first iteration of Art in the City has been a resounding success. It has shown that at a grass roots level, Gloucester can put on a national event of this nature and do it in a way that is genuinely inclusive. Many people over the weekend have commented to me that Art in the City could rapidly go on to become one of the largest and most important events of its kind. We greatly appreciate the support of our funders and sponsors, who have made this possible and especially grateful to the hundreds of artists and thousands of members of the public who took part or attended”
Organisers promise that Art in The City will return in 2017 with the date for next year’s event to be announced shortly.