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Application deadline approaching in Centennial art contest

The application deadline for this year’s Search for Burns Lake’s Centennial Artist competition is only a month away, and organizers encourage artists to apply.
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The application deadline for this year’s Search for Burns Lake’s Centennial Artist competition is only a month away, and organizers encourage artists to apply.

The contest, which includes a plein air segment that will see artists working outdoors in scenic locations within the municipality, is designed to promote the arts in Burns Lake while celebrating the municipality’s first hundred years. A total of $11,000 in prize money and gratuities is up for grabs, making it one of the largest art contests ever held in BC’s Central Interior, and there is no entry fee.

“Successful applicants won’t have to paint at every plein air event held in Burns Lake this summer,” Michael Riis-Christianson, curator of the Lakes District Museum & Gallery, noted last week. “They may only have to paint outdoors once, and each will receive an additional $100 for producing a work of two-dimensional art in four hours.”

The Search for Burns Lake’s Centennial Artist is open to artists with close ties to the Lakes District. First prize, a commission that reflects on or represents Burns Lake’s first century, is valued at $2,000. More than $2,500 in prize money is also earmarked for artists under the age of 19.

“Junior applicants do not have to participate in the plein air events to win,” Riis-Christianson noted. “All they need to do is fill out a two-page form, get one of their parents to sign it, and send the completed application to us with a copy of their artwork. An impartial jury will judge the entries and award the prizes. Individuals under 19 can enter the plein air events for a chance at the grand prize, but their participation is not mandatory.”

Although interest in the competition has been high – artists from as far away as Calgary and Toronto have requested application packages – Riis-Christianson says the museum society hasn’t received many applications to date.

“We hope to receive at least two dozen entries from this area,” he said. “Given the amount of prize money at stake and the celebrity that will come with being named Burns Lake’s Centennial artist, we hope there will be more interest from the local artists before the deadline. This event is, after all, primarily for them.”

Riis-Christianson said that if the museum society doesn’t receive enough entries from people with close ties to the community, it may open the competition to anyone.

“Our generous sponsors want to see this event succeed,” he noted. “Someone is going to be named Burns Lake’s Centennial Artist, and we would prefer it was a person from this area.”

The application deadline for The Search for Burns Lake’s Centennial Artist is March 31, 2023. The event is sponsored by local businesses, individuals, the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako, and the Village of Burns Lake. Artists wanting more information or a copy of the application package can contact the museum society by telephone (250-692-7450) or email (ldmuseumsociety@gmail.com).