I also applied for $20K Basil H. Alkazzi Award

So I applied for the NYFA fellowship but they also give out a $20k award to one painter. It's the Basil H. Alkazzi Award. An artist himself, Mr. Alkazzi will award $20k to a painter. Below was the 400 words I wrote to support and acknowledge portraiture as an art form that needs a resurrection back to it's glory days:

From the earliest advent of painting, the representation of the face and figure has been in evidence. But with the decline of romanticism in the late 19th century giving way to impressionism and abstract art, portraiture waned. Cubists such as Picasso maintained interest in painting the head and face but the distortion of features into geometric shapes can be interpreted as a visual metaphor for the demise of portraiture.

The portrait viewed through the lens of time established the continuity of a human presence within a family, social group or royal setting. It cemented the cherished unity of human togetherness. Today, in the wake of technology, the very notion of humanistic values long established by civilized societes has receded into the realm of shadows.

In my opinion, portrait painting exists at the distant fringes of today’s art scene in the US. It’s largely ignored by art galleries and critics alike. Can we find eyes that not only adore historical portraits but that can walk into a landscape or find good company in a portrait? Can portraiture find its way back to being in favor? Does it have to be strictly work-for-hire?

Many frustrated portrait painters, including myself, are primed to unite and change the perception of portraiture. Ironically, the very technology that deemphasized it is the solution to reestablish it’s place in history once again.

My expressive portraits, which convey emotions, intellect, and caring among other human qualities, and my experience in the commercial online space are both strong tools to advocate for portraiture. I value portrait expression in its own right and the freedom to explore this type of work on my own terms may provide answers on how I can help portraiture find it’s way back.

This award will allow me to find “eyes” for it.