Within Sight
The Atlantic International Youth Art Festival committee
Firstly, we, the Atlantic International Youth Art Festival committee, welcome all artists participating in our event and thank our passionate supporters. We hope to cherish this journey together.
I always enjoy vibrant discussions and shared insights with artists and visual arts students from all over the world. These meaningful conversations always make me realize that to be an excellent visual artist perhaps not only means having sophisticated tools or techniques but also possessing a mindset, a kind of courage, passion, or a unique way of seeing and understanding the world.
In our first committee meeting, our artistic director Dr. Mary Blatherwick said, while visual arts have basic evaluation standards, they also have countless interpretations across different cultural backgrounds worldwide. They all deserve respect and attention. It is precisely these differences that make our world so diverse and our communication so rich and nuanced.
Indeed, our images celebrate new life and may also depict somber departures. We use color to capture the dancing light and shadows and use space to convey endless thoughts and loneliness. We use our brushes to depict the most beautiful and emotional people and things we've seen and use our creativity to showcase those we've never encountered before.
Yes, you are an extraordinary group of artists. You have the most beautiful narrative ability to accurately express emotions in your artwork and depict the joys and sorrows of the world. You have different perspectives and understandings. You make the unfamiliar familiar and find new and exciting differences in the familiar.
Once again, thank you for participating in the Atlantic International Youth Art Festival. We are thrilled to see your work, whether it is a magnificent landscape, a beloved hometown, or a still life. I believe they will all be filled with imagination and charm. Because what you will ultimately showcase is our history, our lives, our past, our present, and our future.
Perhaps your work features portraits. I believe they are not just pretty faces. They embody all sorts of relationships and emotions: friendship, love, joy, loneliness, determination, freedom, and courage. There is someone's most beautiful spiritual essence in the world.
Some participants may prefer creative painting, using various incredible new skills. All of these are valuable expressions. Just like all the great artists before, you might create a new, more powerful way of expression in the history of our emotions and expressions. You may be passionate about your unique cultural heritage, using your methods to express your hometown's unique artistic techniques. I believe that through you, the world will be amazed. Because this is our way of life, cultural roots, geography, and customs. It is an explanation of our society, hunger, and life.
As your committee, we wish you to enjoy every aspect of our art festival. We thank you again for your participation and look forward to you finding a better version of yourself on this journey.
