Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series to Reveal Top Emerging Artists in Canada in Support of International Artist Day

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE UNCOVERS 76 PER CENT OF CANADIANS CAN NOT NAME A CANADIAN CONTEMPORARY ARTIST AND ALMOST 1 OUT OF 2 HAVE NO OPINION ON CANADIAN ART

TORONTO, Oct. 25, 2017 /CNW/ - In its second year in Canada, the Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series Competition is revealing the top emerging Canadian artists in support of International Artist Day. The 59 emerging artists from across Canada are some of Canada's best artistic talent as chosen out of 2,577 submissions by an esteemed panel of judges and curators from Artsy, the global platform for discovering and collecting art.

In a recent survey conducted by Mainstreet Research for Bombay Sapphire, 48 per cent of Canadians visited an art gallery, fair or institution in the past year. Of that, only 41 per cent have a favourable opinion of Canadian art. When it comes to buying art, 56 per-cent of Canadians are more likely to buy art if they knew the artist was Canadian and 58 per-cent would buy emerging artists work.

The biggest gap in the survey revealed that 44 per cent of Canadians are not sure about their opinions on Canadian contemporary art. Leaving the door open to discover and learn about new artists. The Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series mission is just that - to discover the next big name in visual arts. In the 8 years of the North American competition, Bombay Sapphire has uncovered truly amazing talent, cementing its mark in the creative community.

"It was natural for Artsy to work with the Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series, as they have a track record of providing emerging artists with a platform to showcase their work.  While the artists range in age from recent graduates to those taking up art as a second career, most of these artists don't have gallery representation." says Elena Soboleva, Curator of Artsy Projects. "It's a wonderful opportunity for Artsy to be able to partner with Bombay Sapphire and highlight new artists to an international audience."

"Bombay Sapphire has a rich history within the arts and creative community ever since its launch nearly 30 years ago." say Brendan McDonough, Senior Brand Manger, Bacardi Canada. "Discovering new emerging artists through the Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series helps Canadians connect with talent across the country and gives artists an opportunity to exhibit their work to a larger audience."

Canadian and American artists submitted photos of their original work to www.bombayartisan.com where online judges selected the top talent across Canada and the United States. This year's grand prize winner will collaborate with Artsy on a public installation set to debut in 2018 in New York City and will receive a $10,000 USD stipend.

The Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series Emerging Artists are:

Vancouver:
Vanessa Lam - Regional Winner
Alison Keenan
Amy J. Dyck
Antony Rolland
Coris Aeven
Farhad Amini
Jay Senetchko
Jeff Wilson
Joanne Hastie
Jon Shaw
Lani Imre
Mallory Milke
Mitchell Villa
Pete Kohut
Sandra Lamb
Tajah Olson
Tannis Hopkins
Tanya Goehring

Toronto:
Alexander Donskoi
Cindy Lee
Diego de la Rosa
Giuseppe Morano
Glory Fatima Dela Cruz
Heather Kocsis
Jibola Fagbamiye
Jieun June Kim
Justin Mencel
Kal Mansur
Kimberly Tucker
Luke Siemens
Michael Vickers
Nichola Feldman-Kiss
Paul Chartrand
Hannah Schroeter
Elham Fatapour
Tonya Corkey
Yvonne Opalinski

Montreal:
Tina Struthers - Regional Winner
Amelie Jodoin
Ariane Fairlie
Audrey Leroux Jones
Branka Marinkovic
Colette Boulet
Corey Popp
Denise Martel
Derek Evans
Henri Venne
Jennifer Schuler
Justine Skahan
Karine Payette
Maela Ohana
Marko Tonich
Michael Newman
Michelle Lundqvist
Nate Nettleton
Olivier Roberge
Prisca Langlais
Shinhae Lee
Sophia Borowska

Celebrate International Artist Day with the Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series by voting for your favourite emerging artist at www.bombayartisan.com until November 7, 2017. The two artists whose pieces receive the most votes will move on to the finale at SCOPE Miami Beach for a chance to be named the Artisan Series grand prize winner.

About Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series:

The BOMBAY SAPPHIRE ARTISAN SERIES fosters the talents of emerging artists through a North American search for the best up-and-coming names in visual arts.  Each year, a handful of finalists are selected from thousands of online submissions and local gallery events to showcase their works in front of the world's top art critics and buyers at SCOPE MIAMI BEACH the premier showcase for international emerging contemporary art. Since its inception in 2010, the Artisan Series has received more than 38,500 submissions from inspired artists across the U.S. and Canada and has precipitated the sale of artwork to musicians, collectors, and film moguls – a testament to the exceptional caliber of talent receiving exposure from this annual emerging arts competition.

About Artsy:

Artsy is the global platform for discovering and collecting art. Artsy partners with leading museums. international galleries, auction houses, and art fairs to create the world's largest marketplace for art. Artsy's technology enables the growth of the entire art market by effectively connecting supply and demand at a global scale. With 2,000+ partners across 90+ countries and the most-read art publication online, Artsy empowers a global audience to learn about, discover, and collect art. Launched in 2012, Artsy is headquartered in New York City with offices in London and Berlin.

SOURCE Bombay Sapphire

Ania Gilbert, Account Manager, Pomp & Circumstance, m: 647-273-9869, e: [email protected]