The award ceremony for the International Prize "Artists on the FRENCH RIVIERA" took place in Nice on September 11, 2025.
The day before, on September 10, in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, there was a ceremony to present the Catalog "Protagonists of Contemporary Art", which features two of my works.
Central France. Evening 2024, acrylic on canvas, 40 x 50 (private collection)
Studio in Paris 2019, oil on canvas, 110 x 150
I am very proud to award you with the International Prize “Artists on the FRENCH RIVIERA”
The Prize is for the Artists that are worth for their artistic merit.
You will be awarded on September 12th 2025 at the Musée National du Sport (Stade Allianz Riviera, 6 - All Camille Muffat) in Nice (France), to the presence of collectors, journalists, po
It is one of the most prestigious art awards awarded in the heart of Nice.
The Prize thus becomes a stage of excellence, celebrating the true value of art - not merely as aesthetic expression, but as a tool for dialogue, reflection, and transformation. It honors those who, through their works, are able to touch the deepest chords of the human soul and return to society a wealth of emotion and thought. In full alignment with these values, the Effetto Arte Foundation proudly supports this event, fully embracing its mission: to offer visibility and tangible opportunities to contemporary artists, and to accompany them on a path of growth, recognition, and cultural sharing. Through a wide range of initiatives with national and international resonance, the Foundation is committed to promoting creativity in all its forms, firmly believing that art is not a privilege for the few, but a vital language for all.
Elegant, vibrant, and full of contrasts, Nice is a city of fascinating paradoxes. Often seen as the epitome of bourgeois, reserved France, it is in fact a crossroads of cultures, artistic freedom, and Mediterranean beauty. With its timeless charm and unmistakable light, the capital of the French Riviera has inspired some of the greatest masters of modern painting.
Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the French Riviera became a true openair laboratory of art. Monet, Renoir, Matisse, Chagall, Picasso - all found in these places a silent muse that accompanied them in the creation of immortal works. Golden hills, the deep blue of the Mediterranean, and the serene vibrancy of coastal villages gave birth to a unique artistic season, with masterpieces now preserved in the region’s many museums.
Henri Matisse made Nice his home starting in 1917. He remained there until the end of his life, captivated by the Riviera’s light and the breathtaking view from his studio near the Promenade des Anglais. In Vence, he created his spiritual masterpiece: the Chapel of the Rosary, entirely decorated with his stained glass windows and ceramics, a lasting symbol of his deep connection to the region.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir settled in Cagnessur-Mer in 1903. The mild climate helped ease his rheumatism, allowing him to continue painting. Despite physical difficulties, his brush grew lighter and more luminous, giving life to portraits and mythological scenes filled with serenity and joy.
Claude Monet, the master of light, also fell in love with the French Riviera. After the death of his wife in 1883, he sought solace in the intense colors of Antibes. For him, accustomed to painting foggy northern landscapes, the sundrenched scenery of the Côte d’Azur was both a challenge and an inspiration.
Marc Chagall arrived in SaintPauldeVence in 1950, drawn to the magic of a village long beloved by artists and intellectuals. Here, his art was transformed, opening to new visions and inspirations. In 1973, the National Museum dedicated to him was inaugurated in Nice, housing the powerful Message Biblique series. In 1965, he also designed the sets for the city’s Opera House.
And finally, Pablo Picasso - who made the Riviera the stage for one of his most free and vital creative periods. After living in Vallauris with Françoise Gilot, he moved to Antibes, where he was offered a seaside tower to use as his studio. Today, that tower is a landmark of Mediterranean art and a destination for art lovers from around the world.
The Musée National du Sport, founded in 1963 at the initiative of Maurice Herzog, is officially recognized as one of the "Musées de France." Originally located in Paris, it found its permanent home in 2013 in Nice, at the heart of the cuttingedge Allianz Riviera stadium now the city’s premier sports hub. This prestigious institution, the only national museum in France entirely dedicated to the history and culture of sport, has become a point of reference both nationally and internationally. Housed within a dynamic and modern architectural setting, which hosts OGC Nice football matches and major events such as UEFA Euro 2016, concerts, and shows, the museum is perfectly integrated into a space devoted to excellence and community engagement. Over fifty years after its creation, the Musée National du Sport now preserves an extraordinary heritage: approximately 45,000 objects and 400,000 documents that recount the history of sport through memorabilia, artworks, photographs, equipment, and testimonials from athletes and disciplines of all eras. It is a location that finally matches the scale of its cultural and symbolic mission a place capable of engaging with both the present and the future of sport and society.
The curators of the Award are Dr. Salvatore Russo and Dr. France