Ministry of Culture of Ukraine
Vinnytsia Region Public Administration
Vinnytsia Municipal Council
areholdingThe Best Artist 2nd International Plein Air
from 5 to 14 June 2018
I. General Provisions
The Best Artist Plein Air is organized by the Executive Committee of the Vinnytsia Municipal Council at the initiative of Volodymyr Koziuk, the holder of the honorary tile People's Artist of Ukraine.
The plein air is supported by the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, the Vinnytsia Region Public Administration, various foundations, philanthropists, businesses, other agencies and sectors, as well as individual concerned citizens.
II. Aim and Main Objectives
The plein-air is aimed to create the image of Vinnytsia as a European city, to promote Ukraine worldwide, to develop its cultural potential, to present the best pieces of art, to support Ukrainian and foreign artists and to encourage creativity.
The plein air’s objectives include:
−preservation and promotion of the best pieces of art;
−experience exchange between artists from various cities and countries;
−organization of an art exhibition;
−assembling of the Picturesque Vinnytsia and its Outskirts art collection to be displayed in the Vinnytsia History Museum;
−cultivation of good taste in city dwellers through art;
−unification of the international creative community through art;
−support of the Okhmadyt National Children's Specialized Hospital through the refurbishing of its premises with the funds raised from charity boxes, ticket sales, etc.
III. Contest Conditions
To participate in the plein air, professional artists (aged 16 and older) should submit an application (Annex 1 to the Regulation) from 5 April to 20 May 2018 to: info@thebestartist.info The application form can be found on the website of the Municipal Council or download from this site.
The applications should include 5-10 photos of the artist's work, as well as a CV.
The types of art and media: painting, oil.
Based on the applications received, the panel of judges will select 10 artists who will take part in the plein air. The applications will be considered from 21 May to 01 June 2018.
The board of judges reserves the right to increase the number of plein air participants taking into consideration the actual number of applications received and the level of excellence of submitted works.
Under the contestconditions, additional platforms will be created in social networks and in media to display the work of contenders not selected for the participation in the plein air, whose work, however, according to thejudges, is highly professional and creative. Based on public vote, the artists who will have enjoyed the strongest support on social media will be entitled to join the project.
The contest also offers yet another opportunity to take part in the project (for those who were not included into the first two lists): you need to register, choose a location in
the city of Vinnytsia, do a painting and present it on the city's main square on 05 June 2018 (on the day of artists’ arrival for the plein air). The artist who will get the greatest
support from the audience will also be invited to take part in the contest for the Best Artist title.
The participation in the plein air is free. A participation fee option is also available (part of the funds will be directed to cover the needs of the project participants and the rest
– to charity).
The participants will give their artistic interpretation of cityscapes, historical places and cultural heritage of Vinnytsia and the Vinnytsia region. The plein air will last from 5 to 14 June 2018. In the course of the plein air, creative workshops, master classes, experience exchange sessions and seminars will be held and the participants and sponsors will have ample opportunities to implement their ideas and programs.
The plein-air works will be published in a catalogue. The catalogue will contain information about all participants and patrons.
The plein air hosts will ensure quality accommodations, meals, art materials, excursions and activities.
Under the contest conditions, the plein air participants should donate two 60x80 art pieces, selected by the organizing committee, and the respective copyrights to The Best
Artist project (one for the Vinnytsia History Museum, and the other for the patrons of the project).
The participants will be accommodated at the Hosteviia Entertainment Complex where the gala concert and award ceremony will be also held. Organizers, sponsors, judges, accredited media representatives and partners will be invited to the contest final; the rest will have to pay an entrance fee (from 3,500 to 5,000 hryvnia), proceeds from ticket sales will go to the charity.
After the plein air, final exhibitions will be held at the Gallery XXI and on the Maidan Nezalezhnosti square on the Vinnytsia City Day.
IV. Selection of Winners. Awards.
All artworks will be considered by a panel of judgescomposed of leading Ukrainian and world artists, art experts, representatives of the plein air organizers and partners.
The Judges:
• Yevhen Nyshchuk, Minister of Culture of Ukraine
• Yuriy Vakulenko, Director of the Kyiv Art Gallery National Museum, holder of the honorary title Honoured Arts Worker of Ukraine (chair of judges),
• Yulia Lytvinets, Director of the National Art Museum of Ukraine,
• Volodymyr Kosiuk, holder of the honorary title People's Artist of Ukraine,
• Souza-Jamal Badwan, Ambassador of Palestinian Art to the World, Doctor of Science of the Academy of Arts and Sciences,
• Karen Aghamyan, Chairman of the National Artists' Union of Armenia,
• Oksana Poviakel, Art Expert, Executive Director of the Art Initiatives All-Ukrainian Non-governmental Organization, Director General of the National Museum of Folk Architecture and Life,
• Liudmyla Stanislavenko, Regional CouncilDeputy
• Mariia Klymchak, curator of the Ukrainian National Museum of Chicago, editor of the Ukrainian Wave radio program (Chicago),
• Halyna Yakubovych, Deputy Mayor of Vinnytsia,
• Iryna Kopanytsia, Executive Director of the Miss Ukraine National Contest,
• Maxym Filanchuk, Director of the Department of Culture of the Vinnytsia Municipal Council,
• Oleh Ivanenko, Head of the Editorial Board of the Records Book of Ukraine National Project,
• Lidiia Lykhach, Director of the Rodovid Publishing House
• Liu Iudan, Director of the Ukraine International Media Culture company,
• Oleksii Zhadeiko, Art Expert.
• Wu Weishan, the outstanding sculptor of our time and Director of the National Art Museum in Beijing, is invited as a special guest judge.
The board of judges sessions are non-public. The judges vote by a show of hands, a written record of decision is kept.
The judges' decisions are final and not subject to revision.
All participants of The Best Artist Plein Air will receive diplomas, valuable gifts and other awards from the plein airpartners. The results of the plein air will be announced at the awardceremony on 14 June 2018.
The winners will receive a special The Best Artist award made from precious metals by the Kimberli Jewellery House.
The awards will also include a special independent Hehamian Valerii Arutiunovych's award.
The project participants will be in for a number of other surprises.
V. Funding
The plein air will be organized and held using municipal budget funds and other funds in compliance with the current legislation of Ukraine. Logos and names of sponsors and partners will soon appear on all promotional products.