Sinead Desoisa scoops ‘Most Promising Artist’ award at Heritage Trust painting competition

Young artist Sinead Desoisa received the David Gladstone Prize for Most Promising Artist at the Heritage Trusts 30th anniversary painting competition.

The prizes were presented by the Minister for Education Dr John Cortes at the GEMA Gallery at Montagu Bastion.

The competition, which celebrates its 30th year, took place earlier this month and saw participation from of a wide spectrum of the Gibraltar community from locally established artists, to amateurs, to school children and families alike.

Heritage Art Awards 230519 (Photo John Bugeja) from the 30th Annual open air painting/ sketching competition

The aim of the competition was to encourage participants to take a closer look at the heritage that surrounds them on a daily basis and reproduce it through artistic media.

All artwork was done on the day from 9am to 5pm on site at Coaling island and the Small Boats Marina, and the theme was ‘A view from the Rock’.

Louis Peralta took the first prize in the adult section, with Gema Larios Calderon receiving second and Vin Mifsud scooping the third prize.

Javier Perez Plata, Lee Dadpour and Kathleen Victory received highly commended in the adult section.

In the junior section (age 11-17) Sinead Desoisa took the first prize, with Matthew Bosano receiving second and Alex Moreno received the third prize.

Isabella Camillen was presented with a highly commended certificate.

Heritage Art Awards 230519 (Photo John Bugeja) from the 30th Annual open air painting/ sketching competition

In the children’s section (under 10) prizes went to Kate Piner in first place, Emily Gomez in second and Amalia Bell-Horne in third, with Grace Gomez Goldwin and Sofia Kemp were highly commended.

The David Gladstone Prize for Most Promising Artist was presented to Sinead Desoisa.

Judging this year’s competition was Kimberley Pecino, Leslie Gaduzo and Gino Sanguinetti.

The Trust thanked Gibraltar Cultural Services for sponsoring the first prize of the adult section this year with £1,000.

All artwork entries from this year’s competition will be on display at the GEMA Art Gallery, Line Wall Road until June 7. The gallery will be open from 10am to 3pm Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with late night openings until 7pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The exhibition is free and open to the public.