Press Releases

Lexmark, the leading printer manufacturer, announces today the European shortlist for its ground-breaking €30,000, Lexmark European Art Prize.

Over 2,000 paintings were submitted for the prize by artists across Europe, featuring everything from insects to the New York skyline, and using a wide variety of different styles and techniques.

The European shortlist of 25 paintings was drawn up by a judging panel of well respected figures from the European art world.  The final judging will take place in June 2003.  The overall Lexmark European Art Prize winner will be announced during the FIAC art week in Paris in October 2003.

Judges for the final panel will include Professor Brendan Neiland, Chairman of the Judges and Keeper of the Royal Academy Schools, Meredith Etherington-Smith, Editor of ArtReview, Gerard Goodrow, Director of European Contemporary Department at Christie's, Germany, Jan Hoet, Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art (SMAK) in Ghent, Belgium, Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, art collector and President of the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Turin, Italy, María del Corral, curator and ex-director of Collections at the at the Fundació La Caixa, Barcelona and Jean-Pascale Leger, curator of Museum of Tolon, Paris.

The Lexmark European Art Prize is the first ever art prize to be launched on an annual pan-European basis and offers the overall European winner a chance to take centre stage in the art scene with a €30,000 bursary to help them to achieve their ambitions.

Lucy Parsons, Marketing Operations Manager, Consumer Printer Division said, "We are thrilled with the high number of entries we received for the launch year of the prize and the judges were overwhelmed by the high standard of work submitted. It is great to see that painting as a medium is clearly enjoying a renaissance and we are keen to celebrate its return to the forefront of the European art scene through this prize."

The competition will build upon Lexmark's existing relationships within the art world and reinforces the company's growing commitment to the arts.  Its award-winning website and portal, www.print-art.com, is a virtual gallery of fine art, delivering printable masterpieces direct to a PC. 

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