23 Sep 2015

Call to Artists - W. Gordon Smith Painting Award

W. Gordon Smith was Scotland on Sunday's art and theatre critic and columnist for many years and we are celebrating his life by launching this Competition in association with Scotland on Sunday with Prize money totalling £15.000.

As well as an art critic W. Gordon Smith was a distinguished author, dramatist and film-maker, and his understanding of how the different art forms such as poetry, painting, music, theatre, film, etc. are interconnected gave his critical writing a special insight and authority. His work as a dramatist proved equally successful with plays such as Jock, Knox and Vincent becoming part of the canon of contemporary Scottish theatre. A pioneer of televised arts programmes in Scotland, his series of films (Scope and Spectrum) for BBC Scotland throughout the late 1960's and 1970's are perhaps his greatest legacy. They now constitute a unique archive of cultural production in 20th century Scotland to be used and enjoyed by future generations.

The progress made by the arts in Scotland over the past 50 years is unmistakeable as is W. Gordon Smith's contribution. Throughout his life he worked selflessly and tirelessly on behalf of art and artists. This new Competition offers a wonderful opportunity, for all artists, to both celebrate and continue his lifetime's work.

Entries are invited from artists working in Scotland and Scottish artists working throughout the UK and abroad.
An exhibition of successful entries will be presented at the Dovecot Gallery, 10 Infirmary Street, Edinburgh in January 2016. Works sold throughout the Exhibition will not be liable to any commission.

For full details and guidelines, please see our website: www.wgordonsmithaward.co.uk