Three artists from Mount Pearl were among the winners of provincial Arts & Letters Awards handed out at The Rooms in St. John’s this past weekend.
They were among some 553 Newfoundland and Labrador artists who submitted works in categories ranging from poetry and short fiction to dramatic scripts, prose, French literary writing, music and visual art.
Megan Penney received an award and a $350 prize for Supreme in the Junior Poetry category. Some 81 people competed in that category with eight receiving awards and cheques.
Rebecca Simms was one of four winners from 29 entries in the Senior Music division. Her contemporary classical music composition was entitled, Bud. She received a cheque of $1,000 as part of the award.
In the Senior Visual Art category, Danny Woodrow’s acrylic and oil on board painting The Modern Stump was one of 12 award winners. He also received a cheque for $1,000. Some 131 artists submitted works in the category with well-established painters Rod Hand and Ellie Yonova among the winners.
“I would like to offer my congratulations to all the winners of the 2015 Arts and Letters Program,” said Brian Way, Chairman of the Arts and Letters Program. “The award show not only showcases the diverse artistic talent that exists throughout our province, but also provides the opportunity for artists to view each other’s works and receive feedback from their peers.”
The awards are funded by the provincial government and overseen by the Department of Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development.
“The provincial government acknowledges and applauds the important role Newfoundland and Labrador’s creative and talented visual, musical and literary artists play in the continued development and sustainability of our cultural industries and the province’s heritage,” said the minister for the department, Darrin King. “Our province has a tremendously vibrant and active cultural community and as a government, we are pleased to invest in programs like Arts and Letters that support the arts. Congratulations to all this year’s winners and participants.”
