A SEARCH has been launched to find Dorset's best artists.

The 2015 Dorset Arts Prize will see £8,000 worth of prize money up for grabs with the competition aiming to encourage engagement in visual arts by people of all ages across the country.

The event is run by The Bournemouth and Poole College and is open to anyone in Dorset.

Art submissions can be created in any media and the competition is an opportunity for all to celebrate their artistic skills.

The most valuable element in the Dorset Arts Prize is a £3,000 bursary awarded to The Bournemouth and Poole College’s best Design and Creative Arts student.

Last year’s bursary winner was Caroline Watts, a talented young make-up artist who had won a distinction on the Foundation Art and Design Diploma course at the college.

Since then she has further developed her expertise in theatre and performance make-up.

Caroline, from Bournemouth, said: “I would encourage anyone interested in art of any kind, drawing, painting and the digital arts to enter the Dorset Arts Prize if they feel they have something original to offer.

"It was a fantastic boost to my own confidence as an artist.”

As in 2014, artworks can be in any media from drawing to cartoons, from watercolours to oil or acrylic paintings. Photography and three dimensional pieces, plus textiles and printmaking are encouraged too, as are digital art forms, animation and the moving image.

The age categories are 14 to 15 and 16 to 18, both with a prize of £1,000. And there is also a Digital Arts Prize open to all Dorset adults over 19.

Deadline for submissions is Friday, June 26 and the winners will be announced on September 4.

The judges for this year’s competition are Stuart Semple, the International Artist who was himself trained at The Bournemouth & Poole College, Tony Worobiec, International Photographer and Michael Spender, Museum and Arts Manager Borough of Poole.

For details on how to formally enter the competition visit thecollege.co.uk/artprize