Last Saturday three gifted students found themselves the winners of the Sovereign Art Foundation Students Prize Algarve and were presented with their prizes at an award ceremony held at the Lady in Red Galeria de Arte in Lagoa.
The standard of the students’ work was once again outstanding and the event a success.
The gallery, which has an exhibition of over 300 artworks from many renowned artists, was the perfect venue to inspire these young emerging artists.
The afternoon began with entertainment of live music with the popular band KGB playing ‘Kool Grooves n’ Blues’ in the gallery’s lounge bar where visitors were able to choose from a selection of ethically sourced tea and coffee from Teapigs and Caffe Praego brands, which make donations to the Point Foundation in Rwanda to help orphaned or vulnerable children.
Before presenting the awards, organiser Isobel Costa from Sovereign Consultoria Lda in Lagoa, highlighted the work of the Sovereign Art Foundation which focuses on helping children who have suffered through war, poverty and abuse, to heal through art therapy.
The Foundation’s Prizes are held throughout the world and all proceeds raised from the sale of the art go towards the Foundation’s charity projects.
The first prize went to Vitória Santos for her work ‘Noiva de Viana’. Vitória won €750 for herself and €750 for her Poeta António Aleixo Secondary School in Portimão.
Nicole Dionísio, also from the Poeta António Aleixo Secondary School, won second prize with ‘Água’, winning €500 for herself and €500 for the school.
The Public Prize went to Alycia Carvalho for her picture ‘Mother’s Love’, winning her and her school Drª Laura Ayres Secondary School in Quarteira €300 each. This prize is awarded to the picture which receives the most votes from the public at the Prize’s four exhibitions and online.
Bruce Hawker, CEO of the Open Media Group, kindly volunteered to be the auctioneer, managing to raise a total of €1,355 euros which will be divided between the artists themselves and School Art Project Workshops run by artists David Trubshaw and Gudrun Bartels for the Rotary Clube de Silves.
Sovereign would like to thank Peter and Liz Roberts for providing the gallery for the event and for sponsoring the music, and to gallery staff Daniela Medeira and Vasco Lamberti for their assistance in setting up the venue.
Special thanks must also go to the teachers Margarida Rodrigues, Ricardo Encarnação and Rui Caetano and their students of the Professional Hospitality and Catering course from Drª Laura Ayres Secondary School who prepared and served tasty canapés. The decorum and professionalism of these students as they circulated with the food was excellent. Anyone interested in using their services for events in the Algarve can contact the school.
Photographers Ricardo Coelho and Vera Lisa were on hand to record all the memories.
The Students Prize Algarve is only possible with the help of sponsors Lady in Red Galeria de Arte, Open Media Group, Fine & Country Algarve, Design Works, Sandie Croft Art, David Trubshaw, Município de Albufeira, Marina de Lagos, Instituto Português do Desporto e Juventude (IPDJ) Faro and the British Portuguese Chamber of Commerce. Sovereign is grateful for their support.
www.sovereignartfoundation.com
