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Lexmark International, the leading printer manufacturer, today announces the launch of a ground-breaking €30,000 art prize. The Lexmark European Art Prize is the first ever art prize to be launched on a pan-European basis, and was officially announced during the world-famous FIAC art week in Paris on 26 October, in conjunction with leading arts magazine, Art Review.
Lexmark is inviting artists to submit previously unexhibited paintings* to the competition. Although the debate about the talent of controversial conceptual artists and the inaccessibility of their work still rages, Lexmark has recognised a recent renaissance in painting, and is keen to celebrate the return of this genre to the European art scene through its prize.
The annual prize will offer artists a chance to take centre stage in the European art scene with a €30,000 bursary to help them fulfil their ambitions. The initiative will be a truly democratic prize that is open to all*, with a key aim being to make art more accessible to everyone.
The initiative will be judged by a panel of respected figures from the art world including Professor Brendan Neiland, Keeper of the Royal Academy Schools (Chairman) and Meredith Etherington-Smith, Editor of Art Review. Michel Dermont, Lexmark Vice President and General Manager Consumer Printer Division will also have a seat on the panel.
Posters will be placed in art colleges and museums across the UK to spread the word and encourage artists to apply, as well as ongoing publicity in Art Review. Entries are submitted electronically via www.print-art.com.
The overall Lexmark European Art Prize winner will be announced during the FIAC art week in Paris in October 2003.
Commenting on the initiative, Tony Hall, Director Consumer Printer Division, UK said, “We are launching the Lexmark European Art Prize as part of our ongoing programme of support to the art world, including sponsorship of the prestigious Chelsea Shine Gallery plus a close relationship with David Bailey for over four years. We wanted to create an award that embodies our commitment and enthusiasm to art, as well as to identify and bring to the fore the most exciting, but as yet undiscovered, artistic talent in Europe.”
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.
Lexmark’s recent Art Education Programme brought fine art to over 600 schools in the US when it donated colour printers and CD-ROMs containing over 100 of the world’s most impressive works of art. The company has also worked closely with world-renowned art galleries and museums including the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and institutes such as the French Réunion des Musées Nationaux.
*Entrants must be under 40 years of age at the time of painting. Only one entry is permitted per person. The entry must be a painting and be available for high quality scanning for submission. For further information on the awards and to enter visit www.print-art.com.
Lexmark International, Inc. is a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of printing solutions -- including laser and inkjet printers, associated supplies and services -- for offices and homes in more than 150 countries. Founded in 1991, Lexmark reported more than $4.1 billion of revenue in 2001, and can be found on the Internet at www.lexmark.com
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