Skaftfell Center for Visual Art in Seyðisfjörður, East Iceland, received the 2013 Eyrarrós culture award at a ceremony in culture center Hof in Akureyri yesterday. The award was presented by Dorrit Moussaieff, wife of the President of Iceland.

Seyðisfjörður. Photo: Zoë Robert/Iceland Review.

Skatftell hosts exhibitions, serves as an information center and facilitates a residency program for visiting artists. The jury concluded that the center is characterized by dynamic  and ambitious operations with a clear artistic vision. Close collaboration with Seyðisfjörður inhabitants has created a lively community of artists, locals and visitors, ruv.is reports.

Skaftfell’s director Tinna Guðmundsdóttir stated the recognition has significant meaning for the operation. “It is to a large extent run by volunteers so it is important to have someone from the outside evaluate us and tell us that we’re being efficient.”

Other culture projects that were nominated for the Eyrarrós award this year was the monologue festival Act Alone in Ísafjörður, the West Fjords, and heavy metal festival Eisnaflug in Neskaupstaður, East Iceland.

This is the ninth time that Eyrarrósin is granted. The ceremony was different than in past years in that it wasn’t held at Bessastaðir, the presidential residence. Henceforth, it will take place at different locations around the country.

ESA