2nd Annual ARC Salon
The Art Renewal Center® takes great pride in presenting the Award Winners and Top 100 Finalists from our 2nd International ARC Salon™ Competition. With nearly 1,500 entries received from 30 countries around the world, this year's competition has proved to be a true International event and we rightly believe that this may be the finest competition since the Paris Salons before World War I.
ARC is truly elated with the quality of work submitted in this year's competition. The unprecedented success of the First International ARC Salon™ brought tremendous response to this year's competition. Young gifted artists who are just now beginning their careers to some of the most legendary and well-respected artists alive today were brought together in a single competition where the prestige of even making it to the Finals now carries significant weight with galleries, collectors and peers.
This year's Best in Show with an honorarium of $10,000 has been awarded to Paul G. Oxborough of the USA for his painting First One Up, which depicts 3 girls exquisitely composed on a sea of white sheets. With $3,000 and awarded for the very first time by ARC, "The William Bouguereau Award - Emotion Theme and the Figure" goes to Iman Maleki of Iran for his delicately rendered portrayal of 2 young women seated upon a rooftop, titled Omens of Hafez. Together with 3 awards in each of the 5 categories, 3 Purchase Awards, plus the addition of 6 Chairman's Choice Awards and 3 ARC Staff Awards, the allotted prize amount in this year's ARC Salon™ has been well exceeded with more than $222,000 in total.
ARC is honored to have two new judges in the rotation with Peter Trippi, the director of the Dahesh Museum of Art in New York City and internationally renowned artist and instructor Jacob Collins who is also the director of the Water Street Atelier in NYC. Completing this year's panel is ARC's own Chairman and Founder, Fred Ross. Our esteemed judges have all expressed the extreme difficulty in making their final decisions due to the very diverse styles of masterful execution and the vast array of subject matter found within all of the finalist's works of art.
From all across the world the very best of the best artists are now here for your viewing pleasure. We invite you to celebrate with us in honoring all of our Finalists and Award Winners for the incredible high quality and timeless beauty found within this exhibit. On behalf of our Chairman, Fred Ross and everyone here at the Art Renewal Center a well-deserved congratulations is extended to all of our Award winners and participants. We thank them for their dedication to the upholding of artistic traditions and values sought by ARC and wish them continued success in all their artistic endeavors.