Less than three weeks left to enter the contest So You Want To Be An Artist?

Aspiring artists have until 11:59 pm EDT on October 5th to submit their artwork

OTTAWA, Sept. 15, 2015 /CNW/ - There are less than three weeks for teens aged 16 - 19 to enter the 5th edition of the National Gallery of Canada (NGC)'s So You Want To Be An Artist? contest.

This contest is for young people planning on pursuing an artistic career and for those who have never picked up a paint brush.

Aspiring artists have until 11:59 pm EDT on October 5th to complete their submission. No submissions will be accepted after the deadline.

Contestants can draw inspiration from the national collection by viewing thousands of artwork images on the Gallery's website at gallery.ca.

From October 15 to November 15, 2015 eligible submissions will be displayed on the contest website. During this period members of the public are encouraged to vote for their favorite artwork.

The 12 artworks that receive the most votes will be finalists. An additional three finalists will be selected by NGC Associated curator of Canadian Modern Art, Adam Welch. These 15 finalists will then have their artwork displayed in the Artissimo Gallery at the NGC from December 4 to January 15, 2016.

In early December 2015 the jury, which this year includes, Associate curator of Canadian Modern Art, Adam Welch, artist Luke Siemens, artist Sandy Plotnikoff, and artist and Associate Professor of Painting at the University of Ottawa, Jinny Yu, will select three prize winners. The first-place winner will receive an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the Gallery, a portfolio review by an NGC curator and a gift certificate for art supplies.

Join the conversation by following the contest on Twitter and Facebook, @Art_Canada, and facebook.com/makeart.faisdelart using the hashtag #WeAreArtists.

CBC/Radio-Canada and Colleges and Institutes Canada are collaborating with the contest by promoting it through their various digital platforms

How to enter
Aspiring artists must go to the contest website - soyouwanttobeanartist.ca - where they can upload a digital version of their artwork accompanied by an artist statement. The contest is open to all residents of Canada aged 16 to 19 years old (inclusively) as of October 5, 2015. Full contest regulations are available on the contest website.

Connect with the Gallery
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About the National Gallery of Canada
The National Gallery of Canada is home to the most important collections of historical and contemporary Canadian art. The Gallery also maintains Canada's premier collection of European Art from the 14th to the 21st century, as well as important works of American, Asian and Indigenous Art and renowned international collections of prints, drawings and photographs. Created in 1880, the National Gallery of Canada has played a key role in Canadian culture for well over a century. Among its principal missions is to increase access to excellent works of art for all Canadians. For more information, visit gallery.ca 

SOURCE National Gallery of Canada

For media only: For more information, please contact: Josée-Britanie Mallet, Senior Media and Public Relations Officer, National Gallery of Canada, 613.990.6835 / [e-mail]