The 99th Annual Summer Exhibition of Dumfries and Galloway Fine Arts Society opens to the public with a preview this Friday (3 July) from 7pm-9pm at Gracefield Arts Centre in Dumfries.
Seventy artists will have over 180 pieces of high quality work on show across Gallery 1 and Gracefield’s cafe. The work spans all media from sculpture to oil paintings, mixed media to tapestry. And this year, photography is part of the exhibition too.
A trio of judges, Society President Elizabeth Gilbey, ceramic artist Ruth Elizabeth Jones, and creative photographer Kim Ayres, carefully selected works for show, and decided on prize-winners for six separate categories: still life, landscape/seascape, abstract work, sculpture, applied art and the Judges’ Choice award for originality and vision.
Provost and Chair of the Education, Skills and Community Wellbeing Directorate, Councillor Tracey Little will present the awards to the winners on Friday.
“It’s a milestone year for our annual exhibition, the ninety-ninth. And our members have pulled out all the stops,” says Paul O’Keeffe, Chair of Dumfries and Galloway Fine Arts Society.
“It is a really lively and colourful show, with a big range of different styles of work. The prize winners are very deserving. And the Society thanks the Provost for being our guest of honour to present the awards.”
Visitors will also be able to select their own favourite work during the run of the exhibition. The artist with the most popular choice will be awarded a special prize at the end of the show.
The 99th Summer Annual Exhibition runs until 15 August. Most of the works on display are available to purchase.