RBC announces semi-finalists in the 12th annual RBC Canadian Painting
Competition

TORONTO, July 12 /CNW/ - RBC and the Canadian Art Foundation today announced the 15 semi-finalists in the 12th annual RBC Canadian Painting Competition.

One national winner and two honourable mentions will be selected from the semi-finalists and awarded $25,000 and $15,000 respectively. With a total of $55,000 in prizes, the RBC Canadian Painting Competition offers the highest total award of any painting competition in Canada.

"The RBC Canadian Painting Competition has established itself as a showcase of the future of Canadian painting and the talent of emerging artists," said Ann Webb, executive director, Canadian Art Foundation. "Selecting only 15 artists out of the many great entries this year was a challenge, but the jury's work will only intensify as they seek to choose a winner."

The semi-finalists are:

    
    Western Canada

    -  Eli Bornowsky of Vancouver
    -  Aaron Carpenter of Vancouver
    -  Megan Hepburn of Vancouver
    -  Laura Piasta of Coquitlam, BC
    -  Melanie Rocan of Winnipeg

    Central Canada

    -  Sarah Cale of Toronto
    -  Scott Everingham of Toronto
    -  Jon Reed of Toronto
    -  Mark Stebbins of Toronto
    -  Beth Stuart of Toronto

    Eastern Canada

    -  Hugo Bergeron of Montréal
    -  Scott Bertram of Halifax
    -  Benjamin Klein of Montréal
    -  Alexis Lavoie of Montréal
    -  Rick Leong of Montréal
    

"RBC is pleased to help bring forward the works of many artists who might otherwise have gone unrecognized," said Gay Mitchell, deputy chairman, RBC Wealth Management. "As these talented artists step out into our national consciousness, we are proud to give them the valuable support that will help establish their talent for the long-term."

Submissions were accepted from professional, practicing and visual Canadian artists who are in the early stages (within first five years) of their careers. The RBC Canadian Painting Competition was judged by some of the most respected artists, gallery directors and curators in Canada. A complete list of jurors is available at www.rbc.com/newsroom/2010/0415-painting.html.

All regional jurors will come together in late September in Toronto to determine one national winner and two honourable mentions. On September 29, the 2010 winner will be announced and all 15 paintings will be on exhibit at the Power Plant in Toronto. All finalists will be featured in Canadian Art magazine and on the web at www.rbc.com/paintingcompetition and www.canadianart.ca.

About the RBC Canadian Painting Competition

Established in 1999, the RBC Canadian Painting Competition is a tribute to Canada's artistic talent. The goal of the competition is to support and nurture emerging Canadian visual artists by providing them with a forum to display their artistic talent to the country and hopefully open doors to future opportunity. An investment in Canadian culture and the visual arts community, the competition will award one national prize of $25,000 and two honourable mentions will receive $15,000 each. Along with past winners, the winning paintings of 2010 will become part of RBC's Canadian art collection comprised of more than 4,000 works of distinguished art collected over the past hundred years. Various paintings from the RBC collection have been exhibited in museums, enabling more Canadians to enjoy these wonderful works. Details and rules of the competition may be found at www.rbc.com/paintingcompetition.

For further information: Media Contact: Jackie Braden, RBC, 416-974-1724