Gaduzo takes first prize for Wellington Front painting

Leslie Gaduzo has won the first prize in the adult section at this year’s Gibraltar Heritage Trust annual painting competition. This year the theme was Wellington Front and artists gathered on Saturday 20 May, a wide spectrum of the Gibraltar community, participating from locally established artists, to amateurs, to school children and families alike.
The competition is now in its 28th year and in all attracted 88 entries in all sections.
The prizes were announced last night at the Gustavo Bacarisa Gallery and were presented by the Trust’s Patron Governor Lt Gen Ed Davis in the presence of the Minister for Heritage Dr John Cortes. There was an air of excitement amongst the young would-be painters who made up the bulk of the this year’s entries as they waited for the Chairman of the Trust Ian Balestrino to announce the winners.
Wellington Front was last subject of the GHT painting competition in 1991 and prize winning artwork from that year will also be on display
In the Junior section (age11-17) Matthew Bossano took the first prize. The Children’s Section (Under 10) prize was won by Dylan Reese. The David Gladstone prize for Most Promising Artist was presented to Liz Savignon.
This year the entries hang in the Gustavo Bacarisa Gallery at Casemates and will open to the public today until Friday.
A spokesperson for the Trust said the aim of the competition has always been to encourage participants to take a closer look at the heritage that surrounds them on a daily basis and reproduce it through artistic media.
The exhibition is supported by EY and its Managing PartnerJose Julio Pisharello said the competition “reminds us of the rich history that surrounds us all and helps us to fully understand our identity as Gibraltarians”.
In the adult section Vin Mifsud won second prize and Rebecca Moritz was third. In the Junior section (age 11-17) Chloe McToldridge was second and Sinead Desoiza third. Rebecca Martinez, Yaiza Padron Sanchez and Hannah De Haro were highly commended.
In the Children’s Section (Under 10) Piero Guzman was second and Sarah Willis third with Matthew Busto, Jesse Canepa, Cody Macias, Kate Piner and Finlay Savignon - Watson were highly commended.
All artwork entries from this year’s competition will be on display at the Gustavo Barcarisas Gallery and will open from 10am to 6pm today and tomorrow and until 1pm on Friday when the exhibition will close. The exhibition is free and open to the public.