The City of Cadiz in Negros Occidental, in line with its Lunsod Lunsad initiative supported by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), is calling for entries from across the Visayas for the painting competition that will highlight the Visayan life through art.

Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr. said for the first time in the city government-led art competition, which started in 2019, they are opening their doors to other artists in the Visayas, following last year’s Negros Island-wide contest.

“Art knows no boundaries. We need to know more about the Visayan life through art,” Escalante said in a statement on Wednesday.

For two years now, Cadiz has been recognized by the DTI as a Lunsod Lunsad awardee being one of the creative cities in the country, utilizing creative assets to promote economic prosperity and artistic growth.

Its project “Cadiznon Lunsod Lunsad Year 2: Elevating Creative Excellence” was awarded for championing creativity and innovation this year and secured vital funding and technical support from the DTI, after receiving a provisional program certificate from the agency last year.

With the theme “Pagsibol sa Kabihasnang Pamumuhay” (Visayan life), the latest edition of Cadiz’s painting competition is open to all artists, 18 years old and above, in the Visayas Region.

The grand winner will receive a cash prize of PHP200,000 while the first runner-up and second runner-up will get PHP100,000 and PHP50,000, respectively.

A total of PHP100,000 cash prize will be given to the winners of minor awards, although they have not given specifics.

This year’s grand winner Therese Mae Ortaliz, an architecture student of La Consolacion College in Bacolod City, took home the grand prize of PHP100,000 for her masterpiece “Negros’ Vibrant Harvest”, which captured the essence of Negros Occidental’s sugar industry.

The fifth year of the art competition will culminate during the northern Negros city’s 51st Dinagsa Festival in January next year.

Entry dimensions should be 32 x 26 inches (vertical or horizontal) and medium can be oil or acrylic on canvas.

Entries can be sent through courier between Jan. 6 and 8 to ensure arrival before the competition or submitted to the office of Cadiz City Arena from Jan. 9 to 10.

To register, log in at https://forms.gle/5Xssz2QdT9p9pmSJ9 (PNA)