Press Release

ARABELLA Publications Inc. Launches National Painting Contest & Social Media Site Promoting Contemporary Canadian Landscape Art, Artists, Galleries and Canadian Communities

ARABELLA – The Premier Canadian Consumer Art Magazine –is launching a major art contest to examine the emotional power of contemporary landscape art in shaping Canadian identity with a full sense of the past, present and future. The ARABELLA Canadian Landscape (ACL) contest is designed to be the greatest adventure in chronicling the beauty and emotional spirit of Canada as reflected in landscape paintings from all provinces and territories. Unlike any other Canadian painting contest The ACL contest promotes the work of ALL participants. Never have so many artists and communities across Canada been able to participate and share in the artistic experience! The contest call for entry for all interested artists will run from March 1, 2012 to November 1, 2012. The full year project is designed to provide a major platform for promoting Canadian art, artists, galleries, arts organizations, as well as engaging businesses and communities across the country. Opportunities for event sponsors in key industry categories are available.

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, February 15, 2012 (www.arabelladesign.com):

Contemporary art plays an important role in telling the Canadian social and cultural story. ARABELLA, the premier Canadian consumer art, architecture & design magazine is now calling for artist entries for a national juried landscape painting contest that offers significant financial prizes as well as great exposure opportunities for artists, galleries and interested arts groups and communities across Canada.

The ARABELLA Canadian Landscape Contest is a full year project and is now open to register artists for the competition through the contest web site at www.arabellacanadianlandscape.com. Working in partnership with Occasions Network Exchange (ONE) the next stage of the project includes the launch of a social media site to chronicle and provide artist, gallery and community input and dialogue on what is hoped will be the greatest adventure in chronicling the state of landscape painting in Canada in 2012-13.

The time is right and the social media technology is now available to forge an expanded image of Canadian art on the world stage. Now is the time to re-examine the country with an awareness of capturing the full breadth, depth and colour that exists and to be as inclusionary as we can with regard to all communities, peoples and cultures. In addition to creating an outstanding collection of artistic works to represent the Canadian landscape genre in 2012, ARABELLA will be offering extensive prizes for all those selected to be part of the collection, as well as significant prizes for top honours at the national and provincial levels.

We are offering extensive honours and prizing in each of the provinces and territories for winners:

Provincial Prizes:
First Place $5,000
Second Place $1,000
Third Place $500
Peoples' Choice $ 1,000

A top financial prize will be awarded to the Grand National winners in the national awards in 2013.

National Prizes:
First Place $25,000
Second Place $5,000
Third Place $2,500
Peoples' Choice $5,000

Other Awards:

All winners (both provincial and national) will be profiled (Up to 8 pages each) in the ARABELLA Canadian Landscape book (release scheduled for same date as awarding of the National awards in 2013). All winning entries will also become part of the tour activities for the ARABELLA Canadian Landscape Collection as well as local, provincial and national sponsored presentations, exhibits and media events. Details of all of the competition conditions and prizes can be found on the contest and magazine web sites.

ARABELLA Publications Inc is an independent, privately held Canadian incorporated company with head offices in Queenston-Niagara-on-the Lake, Ontario, Canada. The company publishes ARABELLA – Canadian Art, Architecture & Design which is distributed across North America and around the world on the web. Company Officers are: Debra Usher, Founder and President and Brian Usher, CEO and Publisher.

The magazine is published quarterly and has a distribution of 80,000 and a readership base of over 480,000. The magazine is distributed in all Chapters & Indigo Canadian stores and all Barnes & Noble US locations, as well as a number of associated bookstores and independent retailers. The magazine is also carried in all major libraries including the Library of Congress, the White House Historical Association, The Canadian Library of Parliament; Community Colleges & Universities, and long established private clubs. In addition to print production the magazine is available for subscription download from the Apple iTunes store.

ARABELLA is a truly unique Canadian magazine created for people who aspire, are achieving, or have already accomplished a luxury style of life reflecting what it means to be Canadian. Our goal is to serve the reading interests of Canadians who have a passion for transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary and living life well. Each issue presents original, in-depth editorial on the best of Canadian contemporary and historical fine art; galleries to visit; artists to collect; architecture and living spaces; unique stores to visit; business and personal life style profiles, landscaping and interior design; luxury properties for sale; unique travel destinations; and food and wine to savour.

Media Contact:

Brian Usher, CEO & Publisher
Tel: 289.296.4345, Cell: 905.246.7694
Email: brian.usher@arabelladesign.com