Artists across Dorset have less than one month to put the finishing touches to their creative masterpieces and enter the 10th Dorset Art Prize, an art initiative led by Bournemouth and Poole College and supported by Arts University Bournemouth, the GIANT Gallery, and former College student turned successful and influential international artist, Stuart Semple.

Almost 50 submissions have already been received from budding artists from across the county, stretching from Poole to Dorchester, and organisers are urging others wishing to enter to submit their artwork by Sunday 22 October.

Phil Sayles, principal at Bournemouth & Poole College, says: “The 2023 Dorset Art Prize aims to highlight creative talent across the county and is free to enter for anyone aged 11 and over. This year’s theme is the environment and participants are encouraged to use any visual medium including photography, digital art, fine art, and sculpture to reflect this.

“The Dorset Art Prize is an important annual occasion in our calendar to collaborate with artists and creatives in the community. Through partnering with Arts University Bournemouth, the GIANT Gallery, and one of our very own former students, Stuart Semple, during the competition’s 10th anniversary year we have been able to extend our reach across Dorset giving even more local schools, colleges, and communities a platform to unleash creative potential. We are looking forward to reviewing the 2023 submissions later this year.”

Category age groups open for entry are 11 to 16, 16 to 18 and over 18s, and prizes available range from £100 to £1,000.

The shortlisted artwork will be showcased at the GIANT Gallery on Friday 24th November, where the winners will be revealed.

The 2022 winner in the ‘overs’ category was Nicole Revy. Nicole runs Prints by the Bay in Bridport and on winning she adds: “I submitted one of my original linocut prints into last year’s competition and I was very pleased and surprised to hear that it won first prize in my category. I encourage all Dorset-based artists, working in any medium, to submit an application to this fantastic community prize. The creative prompts are great, and the application process is very simple and easy to follow. There’s nothing to lose, and it pushes you to create work that is perhaps out of your comfort zone. Having a community prize like this is so beneficial and brings all ages together to create something wonderful.”

For more information and to submit and entry, please visit www.thecollege.co.uk/dorset-art-prize