06 Nov 2014

With the Thapong Artist of Year Awards ceremony slated for December 4 and the winner set to walk away with P35 000, artists have been encouraged to submit their art pieces on time.

Speaking in an interview, Coordinator of Thapong Visual Art Centre, Reginald Bakwena said over the weekend artists were grilled on what is expected of them regarding the TAYA event. “We were giving them tips on what we are looking for in terms of quality of their work,” he said, adding that it is a competition and as such high standards should be observed.

He said artists were also encouraged to pick interesting subjects for their artworks.

“The message has to be clear and it has to have a significant meaning, and also the type of material one picks for their work will go a long way in playing a part in the judges’ final assessment,” he said. Bakwena further said the deadline for submission of art works is November 14-16 and it was extended.

He also indicated that the workshop was meant to prepare artists mentally for when they lose or win. “Not everyone will win and it is important that we prepared them mentally for when that happens,” said Bakwena.

He further said artists were also informed on how best to present their work. “Sculptures, pictures, paintings should all look presentable and not be submitted just for the sake of making the numbers,” said Bakwena, adding they also encouraged artists to research on the type of art they do.

“What has been apparent over the years is that we have realised that artists do not research on things. One needs to know about other artists in his/her own field and have a comprehensive understanding on that type of art and what others are doing,” he said.

Bakwena further said most artists fail to understand that art is the same as writing a story or composition; it needs to have an introduction, body and conclusion to be complete and understood.  He also said artists were told on the importance of having original art pieces.

“Originality in art is very important and it will determine who the winner will be, but it does not mean judges will ignore other aspects of the competition,” said Bakwena. He also said artists were told to undertake art pieces that they could finish in time and not submit work that is incomplete. Artists were also cautioned on the pricing of their work.

“It is important that pricing is in line with the market and not exorbitant.  Artists should look at the material they are using, the quality and work put into the production of the art pieces,” he said.

Speaking on sponsors for the awards, Bakwena said so far they have secured sponsorship from Diamond Trading Company Botswana (DTCB), Collegium Publishers, Plascon and Mascom Wireless. “We are hoping to get positive feedback from other corporates we have approached for funding,” he said. ENDS