Emilia-Romagna Region Buys Artworks from Young Artists to Support Sector Amid COVID-19

The Emilia-Romagna Region has launched a call for the acquisition of artworks by young artists operating in its territory, aiming to support the visual arts sector hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Culture Councillor Mauro Felicori announced the initiative, which will allocate 36 purchase prizes of €4,950 each (net of taxes) in 2020, with at least three-quarters reserved for artists under 40. The acquired works will join the region's existing art collection and be made accessible through digitization, public exhibitions, or loans to other institutions. The call is open to Italian or EU citizen artists working in Emilia-Romagna, practicing painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, or video art. Applications must be submitted via certified email from October 19 to November 3, 2020. The jury includes Gloria Bartoli (vice artistic director of Arte Fiera), Walter Guadagnini (professor at Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna), and Marco Pierini (director of Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria). Selection criteria include creative quality, artistic trajectory, and CV. This measure complements other regional support actions such as Viralissima, concerts for the Invisibili, funding for twelve theater and dance productions, and extraordinary support for audiovisual productions.