L-R: : Andre Guichard, Ariel Vargassal, Vanessa Lam, Charity White, Elena Soboleva Photo by Samantha Deitch/BFA.com
On December 8, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin announced Vancouver based artist, Vanessa Lam, as the Grand Prize Winner of the 8th Annual BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Artisan Series. Online global arts platform, Artsy, curated the grand finale event at Villa Casa Casuarina while writer, producer, and actress Issa Rae served as special host of the evening. Now in its eighth year, the Artisan Series once again embarked on a search to discover the best emerging visual artists from across North America, bringing 16 finalists to SCOPE Miami Beach to showcase their works at one of the world’s most prestigious international art fairs. After careful consideration by this year’s panel of judges -- including Curator of Artsy Projects Elena Soboleva, SCOPE Vice President Daria Brit Greene, and Artisan Series International Curator Andre Guichard, -- Lam was crowned as the 2017 champion. As part of her title, Lam will now go on to collaborate with Artsy on an immersive public arts installation in New York City next Spring.
Each of the 16 finalists’ winning works were featured within a special exhibition at SCOPE Miami Beach, drawing invaluable exposure for the artists, before the finale celebration on Friday, December 8th. Held at the Villa Casa Casuarina, the exclusive fête was curated by Artsy and hosted by Rae where a mix of artists, celebrities, musicians, and industry innovators including Eva Longoria, Mark Ronson, and Olivia Culpo came together to toast to the program’s outstanding creative talent. The evening featured a variety of artfully crafted BOMBAY SAPPHIRE cocktails including an extravagant cocktail creation served to guests from a fountain.
As the evening wound down, Rae took the stage to congratulate the 16 finalists before announcing Lam as the 2017 Grand Prize Winner. In addition, two other artists were recognized among the 16 finalists: Second Place Winner Ariel Vargassal (Los Angeles) and People’s Choice Winner Charity White (Chicago). Following their wins, the Los Angeles and Chicago -based artists will create a collection of work to debut next spring at gallery exhibits in their hometowns.
Lam reveled in her victory stating, “It’s been an incredible journey since being a part of the Artisan Series earlier this year. Exhibiting my work and getting to know so many inspiring artists during this year’s Artisan finale is something I will never forget, and I am grateful to have been offered this remarkable platform to share my art with the world.”
Following the announcement of Lam’s’s win, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Senior Brand Manager Stacy Saltiel looked back at the program’s history: “Over the past eight years, the Artisan Series program has committed to supporting the industry’s top emerging visual artists. It has been inspiring to see these artists go on to create a lasting impact in the creative community and we’re excited to see how Lam will continue to push boundaries and take her talent to new heights.”
Source: Bombay Sapphire
