By Tatiana Grigorieva
Minsk graphic designer Margarita Konovalova has been awarded the major prize by the professional jury. Her submission features a fragment of Ivan Khrutsky’s Portrait of an Unknown Woman with Flowers and Fruit. Candidate of Art History Irina Skvortsova, the Head of the National Art Museum’s Scientific and Educational Department, explains that 2011 was the Year of Khrutsky.
Visitors to the museum also denoted their choice, with Vitebsk’s Olga Shimanko receiving the most public votes. Anna Melnichuk, a student at the Vitebsk State Technological University, has been given a special prize from the museum director.
Ms. Skvortsova underlines, “All the submitted designs were equally good, so we looked to subtleties of colour and imagery in our assessment. It was good to see so many creative submissions from younger people. We’ve seen exactly what we hoped for: small graphic works.”
According to Ms. Skvortsova, each year, the number of entrants rises, with ever more university students taking part. Associated professor and candidate of philosophical sciences Oleg Chernyshev, of the International Design Association, believes that the contest allows youngsters to set their talent against that of others in healthy competition. “It’s a difficult time for many talented young people, who are distracted from the true arts by television and the Internet. However, interest in this contest shows that some are still devoted to the arts. The National Art Museum’s tickets are a vital ‘calling card’,” underlines Mr. Chernyshev. This year, 48 applications were received, presenting 70 works.
