The BP Portrait Award Project: Facing the Gulf - Portraits in Oil

An interactive community fine arts documentary project: Compelling Viewing and Doing...

This is Art of Democracy's second project empowering communities to act on social justice issues through the arts.

The goal: to create unique and compelling online and real world community content by empowering Gulf Coast residents to submit portraits to the annual BP Portrait Award competition which takes place annually in London.

Using portrait painting as an entry point to respond to the tragedy of the Deepwater Horizon, the project will run portrait painting classes in the community to empower members to submit their portraits to the BP Portrait Award competition. Filming the process from classes to submission through selection and the awarding of the prize we will capture a compelling story of human interest filled with suspense, colour and drama which will bring huge numbers of people to a unique interactive project and to the issues associated with the plight of the Gulf and its people. The portraits generated through the project will be exhibited online and and locally before being brought to London for submission. Fundbreak donors will be eligible for a range of rewards ranging from being named as art patrons, and invited to exhibitions in the US and in London through director's cut version of the film and even personalized versions of the film including material generated just for them. Other Fundbreak donor rewards including invitations to Native American and other Gulf Coast events are in the planning process right now. We believe that the film will be a hit at film festivals and will be working to arrange Fundreak donor invitations to the most interesting festivals where possible.

Any proceeds over expenses will be donated to relief funds in the Gulf and to Native American tribal funds.

 

We’re running a crewing gig contest!

The Facing the Gulf project is all about compelling viewing and doing. So for a £5.00 donation join us for your chance to win a one week crewing/intern gig during our London shoot in March/April 2011.

Upload an image which best captures the spirit of the Facing the Gulf Project to the Facing the Gulf Facebook page.

Bp facing the gulf portraits in oil

Promote your Page too

Or post the answer to this question: Is Corexit (the dispersant sprayed on the Gulf - find out all about Corexit at the Facing the Gulf Facebook page)
a) a neurotoxin banned in Britain
b) a product to white-out typing mistakes (remember those!)
c) a tasty dipping sauce for seafood

We wish you all the best of luck and thank you for supporting the Facing the Gulf Project.

The usual small print applies:
Please be sure you comply with all the regulations of copyright and online communications when posting images and/or text . You will retain your copyright.
The prize is non-transferrable and subject to the signing of an internship contract with the Facing the Gulf project.
All contest decisions are final.