BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® Gin Announces Winner of 7th Annual BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Artisan Series
December 3, 2016
Philadelphia Winning Artist to Collaborate with Creative Time on Public Arts Project in Spring 2017
Coral Gables, Fla. (December 2nd, 2016) – Last night during SCOPE Miami Beach, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Gin, along with Russell and Danny Simmons’ Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, announced Philadelphia based artist Darius Frank as the Grand Prize Winner of the 7th Annual BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Artisan Series. Once again, the annual arts competition embarked on a North American search for the next big name in visual arts; bringing 16 finalists to SCOPE Miami Beach to showcase their work in front of an esteemed panel of judges including Rush Philanthropic co-founder Danny Simmons; SCOPE Miami Beach Vice President Daria Brit Greene; Creative Time’s Executive Director Katie Hollander, and Artisan Series Canadian Ambassador/Painter Kim Dorland.
As the Grand Prize Winner, Darius Frank will now move on to collaborate with New York based non-profit arts organization, Creative Time, on a groundbreaking public arts project scheduled to be unveiled in Spring 2017 and win a solo exhibition at next year’s SCOPE Miami Beach.
An illustrious mix of artists, celebrities, musicians, socialites, fashion designers and art industry influencers came together for the private event on Thursday, December 1 to celebrate the 7th Annual Finale at 1111 Lincoln Road. Guests, including A$AP Rocky, Russell Simmons, Rosario Dawson, and Sasha Lane, enjoyed artfully crafted BOMBAY SAPPHIRE cocktails and hor d’oeuvres while dancing to beats by Guest DJ Jermaine Dupri.
Launched in 2010 as a collaboration with Russell Simmons and Danny Simmons’s RUSH Philanthropic Arts Foundation, the BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Artisan Series is an annual arts competition committed to discovering the next big name in visual arts. Thousands of artists were invited to enter the 2016 Artisan Series by creating a piece of inspired, original art. The works of 14 artists were then selected from local gallery events across the US and Canada – including New York City, Chicago, New Orleans, Detroit, Philadelphia, Atlanta, San Francisco, Miami, Austin, Los Angeles, Seattle, Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto – while two additional finalists were determined online by popular votes.
Along with Grand Prize Winner Darius Frank, two other artists were selected among the 16 finalists who had made their way to the exclusive Finale in Miami: First Place Prize Winner Jimmy Jenkins Jr. and People’s Choice Winner Ivan Alifan. Coming together to announce the top three winning artists, Artisan Series program curator Andre Guichard, Judge Katie Hollander (Creative Time), and music mogul Russell Simmons toasted to the program’s incredible achievements and plans on expansion. Russell Simmons addressed the finalists: “Over the past seven years, the Artisan Series program has uncovered truly inspiring talent and in doing so, has cemented its mark in the creative community. I am so proud of our longstanding partnership with BOMBAY SAPPHIRE as we continue on our journey of discovering visual artists across North America. I can’t wait to see how Creative Time and Darius Frank’s collaborative vision come to life next spring. “
Of his Grand Prize win, Darius Frank said, “Exposing your work to thousands of artists, critics, collectors and art industry leaders at an international festival like SCOPE Miami Beach is something you always dream of as an artist. I am so grateful to have the BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Artisan Series as a platform and to have met so many inspiring creatives throughout this process. I look forward to collaborating with a groundbreaking arts organization like Creative Time and learning how to inspire people with my work.”
BOMBAY SAPPHIRE VP, Brand Managing Director Ned Duggan added, “Now in its 7th year, the Artisan Series program has completely established its presence within the creative community and continues to evolve with this year’s new Creative Time collaboration. The caliber of talent and quality of work gets better year upon year and I look forward to seeing Darius Frank’s solo exhibition at SCOPE Miami Beach next winter.”
This year’s collaboration with Creative Time will help expand on partnership between BOMBAY SAPPHIRE and Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation will enhance the brand’s longstanding commitment to fostering creativity and supporting artists. With BOMBAY SAPPHIRE and Rush’s mission of providing exhibition opportunities for emerging artists, and Creative Time’s worldly imagination, the annual arts competition will push the boundaries of what art can be and how it can be experienced like never before.
About BOMBAY SAPPHIRE®
BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin is the fastest growing premium gin in the world and world’s number one premium Gin by value. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® is created with a unique combination of ten hand-selected botanicals, sourced from around the globe. The brand’s global essence and signature vapour infusion process impart a refined and perfectly balanced taste, versatile enough for both classic cocktails and exotic recipes. Infused with Imagination, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® is a symbol of the exploration of worldly and sophisticated lifestyles. For more information, please explore www.bombaysapphire.com.
The BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® brand is part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited.
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About BOMBAY SAPPHIRE ARTISAN SERIES
The BOMBAY SAPPHIRE ARTISAN SERIES fosters the talents of emerging artists through a North American search for the best up-and-coming names in visual arts. Each year, a handful of finalists are selected from thousands of online submissions and local gallery events to showcase their works in front of the world’s top art critics and buyers at SCOPE MIAMI BEACH the premier showcase for international emerging contemporary art. Since its inception in 2010, the Artisan Series has received more than 30,000 submissions from inspired artists across the U.S. and Canada and has precipitated the sale of artwork to musicians, collectors, and film moguls – a testament to the exceptional caliber of talent receiving exposure from this annual emerging arts competition.
About Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation
Founded in 1995 by brothers Russell, Danny and Joseph “Rev. Run” Simmons, Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, a 501c3 organization, is dedicated to providing inner-city youth with significant exposure and access to the arts, and to offering exhibition opportunities for emerging and underrepresented artists. Over the past 20 years, Rush has developed a broad base of friends, collaborators and supporters dedicated to supporting its mission. In addition to the 3,000 students served annually in its education programs, each year Rush exhibits the work of over 100 emerging and community-based artists in its galleries, and welcomes over 10,000 gallery visitors to its spaces in Chelsea, Manhattan (Rush Arts Gallery) and Clinton Hill, Brooklyn (Corridor Gallery). For more information, visit www.rushphilanthropic.org.
About Creative Time
Creative Time a nonprofit public arts organization is committed to working with artists on the dialogues, debates and dreams of our time. Since 1974, Creative Time has presented the most innovative art in the public realm and provided new platforms to amplify artist’s voices, from the Creative Time Summit, the largest international convening of art and social change, to Creative Time Reports, an ongoing op-ed by artists responding to the pressing issues of our times co-published with The Guardian. The New York-based nonprofit has produce more than 350 groundbreaking public art projects that have ignited the public’s imagination, explored ideas that shape society, and engaged millions of people around the globe. Creative Time seeks to convert the power of artists’ ideas into works that inspire social change and stimulate public dialogue on timely issues, while initiating a dynamic conversation among artists, sites, and audiences. For more information on Creative Time please visit www.creativetime.org. To connect with us via twitter use @CreativeTime and find us on Instagram @CreativeTimeNYC.
