$100,000 Art Contest Announces Winners

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Dec. 8, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The Engage Art Contest announces its winning artists for their 2019-2020 contest. The contest, open to artists in North America, featured four categories—Visual Art, Music Video, Film and Performing Arts—and drew more than 1,000 submissions from 24 countries. Each category was juried blind by a panel of experts in that field of the arts. Cash prizes total $100,000.

The Engage Art Contest is the creation of art appreciators and philanthropists, Bill and Linda Bantz of North Carolina. Bill felt a strong calling from God to re-introduce artists to a time-tested source of inspiration —the Holy Scriptures. For centuries, artists such as Bach, Mozart, Chagall, Dali and Matisse have been inspired to create works based on Scripture. Bill and Linda feel that now is the time for this generation to draw on this source and contribute a contemporary take.

The topic of this contest is the Spiritual Battle as described in Ephesians 6:10-20, with each artist asked to explore this spiritual dynamic from their own viewpoint. In truth, the theme is universally relevant and evergreen, and it provides fodder for a broad array of artistic response.

The 2020 Engage Art Winners are:

Visual Art
1st Place: Steve A. Prince—Armor of God: Equipping Ourselves to do Social Justice—Virginia, USA
2nd Place: Jonathan Millet—The Contenders—Texas, USA
3rd Place: Jeffrey A. Gomez—Forever and Ever—California, USA

Honorable Mentions: Geoffrey Bowton (Oregon), Sandra Jean Caes (Colorado), Maria Andrea Diaz Perazache (Costa Rica), Nirvani Harriram (New York), Cody F. Miller (Ohio), Ronald Mondesir (Massachusetts), Michelle Washington (California)

Performing Arts
1st Place: Willow Pinkerton—Trial and Faith—Pennsylvania, USA
2nd Place: Karlos Smith—Transformed—Ohio, USA
3rd Place: Triston N. Gollop—Insurrection—Barbados

Honorable Mentions: Marcelino DaCosta (Ontario), Camille C. Hanson (Minneapolis), Sanjae Shanna Kay Innis (Jamaica), Daniel Knudsen (Michigan), Javaughn Lewis (Jamaica), Jhenelle Lewis (Jamaica), Gersha H. Tjaaroeme (St. Maartin)

Music Video:
1st Place: Jeremiah Bligen—Wake—North Carolina, USA
2nd Place: Shane ‘Rizon’ Gibson—Act Like You Know—Trinidad and Tobago
3rd Place: Bj’orn Pierre—No Grudge—Trinidad and Tobago

Honorable Mentions: Esther Acheampong (Ontario), Robert Barrera (Michigan), Darian Johnson (California), Marley Nunez (Belize), Andrew Pickens (Missouri), Wrudell Timothy (Trinidad and Tobago), Katrice Walker (New York)

Film:
1st Place: Isaac Mornatus—Firm—Dominican Republic
2nd Place: Antwan Witter—My Biggest Fear—South Carolina, USA
3rd Place: Patrick Meikle—Truly Valiant—Jamaica

Honorable Mentions: Daniel Anleu (Guatamala), Johnny D. Dutch (North Carolina), Jonathan Rothermel (Pennsylvania), Alfonso Meléndez Sánchez (Mexico), Willie Singh (Trinidad and Tobago), Simon Joseph Thompson (Jamaica), Christian Vargas (Costa Rica)

Plans for the 2021-2022 Engage Art Contest are underway and will be announced in January 2021. For more information or to view the winners work, visit www.EngageArt.org.