Thomas Oliver Maxwell won the Ministry of Culture Award and the overall prize of £1,500 in Gibraltar's 'Our Gibraltar' art competition for his painting of Southport Gates. The annual National Day Art Exhibition, featuring 64 entries from 42 local artists across painting, sculpture, and photography categories, opened at the Fine Arts Gallery in Casemates with Deputy Mayor Nicky Guerrero and Governor Lieutenant General Sir Ben Bathurst in attendance. Nataly Zelak-Victor won first prize in painting for 'Parson’s Lodge Battery,' while Prem Mahtani took first prize in photography for a photograph of Parson’s Lodge. Judges Douglas Morello, Gabriella Martinez, and Stefano Blanca Sciacaluga evaluated the works, noting the variety of media and locally themed subjects.
This matters because the exhibition highlights Gibraltar's cultural identity and artistic community ahead of National Day, providing a platform for local artists to engage with themes of heritage and place. The competition's structure, with separate categories and cash prizes, encourages broad participation and recognizes diverse media, reinforcing the role of visual art in regional civic celebration and community cohesion.