The Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury, whenever it wanted to present a gift to visiting dignitaries, was limited in its choices.
“Our options were T-shirts or mugs,” said Caleigh Clubine, community relations officer with the Town of BWG. The deficiency came to light with last year's visit by Michael Coteau, then Ontario Minister of Children and Youth Services.
A T-shirt and a mug?
The town began to consider other options. Why not a plate decorated with a recognizable BWG image? Why not a limited-edition print?
The town’s Arts and Culture Advisory Committee decided to launch an art competition this year to find images that could be reproduced on both postcards and official gifts from the town. To encourage participation by the municipality’s growing arts community, they offered a substantial prize of $500 per winner.
Only non-artists on the council were permitted to judge the works, giving artist members the opportunity to enter.
And the response, said Clubine, was outstanding. Council received 19 original artworks – “so many that are such good quality.”
The three winners were A trip to Toronto by Les Buxton, Pioneer – a sketch of the historic 1834 Elliot-Watters log cabin on Line 12 by Diane Gray, and Harvest Time by Jim Woods.
“They very clearly represent Bradford,” Clubine said. The town now owns the winning artworks and has the right to reproduce the images as gifts and postcards, to be presented by the municipality.
The town also acknowledged a trio of young artists, who entered works in the 2018 competition. Ashmenaa Satheeshkumar, 10, and her sister Apisha, 13, and eight-year-old Natalie Barkan were thanked for their outstanding efforts.
A reception was held at the BWG Public Library on Sept. 18, where all of the entries are now on display in the second-floor gallery, at 425 Holland St. W. The exhibit will remain until the end of October. Additional works by the three winners are on display downstairs at the library.
