Delta artist’s work gets national attention

Rachelle Sawatsky among 15 finalists in RBC competition.

Rachelle Sawatsky's painting, The Imposter.

Rachelle Sawatsky's painting, The Imposter.

A Delta painter is a finalist in a prestigious national art contest.

Rachelle Sawatsky is among 15 artists chosen in the 15th annual RBC Canada Painting Competition. Her painting, titled Imposter, is among five from western Canada. Five each were also selected from central and eastern Canada.

RBC will award a total of $115,000 in prize money. The winner will receive $25,000, while two honourable mentions will receive $15,000 apiece. The three winners’ paintings will become part of RBC’s corporate art collection, one of Canada’s finest, which holds more than 4,000 pieces collected over the last century.

To commemorate the 15th anniversary, the remaining 12 finalists will each get $5,000. In addition, all 15 finalists will have the opportunity to spend a full day being mentored by the RBC Canadian Painting Competition jurors. The jurors are some of Canada’s most respected artists, gallery directors, curators and art critics, to help develop their careers and practice.

The winner and honourable mentions will be announced at a gala at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa on Oct. 2. The paintings of the 15 finalists will be on exhibit at the National Gallery from Oct. 1-13, and at Art Toronto from Oct. 24-28. All finalists are featured at rbc.com/paintingcompetition

 

Surrey Now Leader