The Prizes of the Autumn Exhibition, 1955

At the invitation of the Ministry of National Education and Fine Arts, the committee of the Autumn Exhibition met at the UNESCO Palace at five o'clock on the evening of Monday, January 9, 1956, to award the prizes established for the Lebanese artists taking part in the Autumn Exhibition. These prizes are: the Grand Prize of His Excellency the President, the first prize of the Ministry of Education, the second prize of the Ministry of Education, the prize of the Commissariat of Tourism and Summering, and various prizes in the name of the Ministry of Education.

The Grand Prize of His Excellency the President is awarded only once to an artist — by secret ballot, and it must obtain a two-thirds majority.

The first prize of the Ministry of Education is awarded by secret ballot and absolute majority, and likewise the prize of the Commissariat of Tourism and Summering.

The second prizes are awarded by relative majority.

The committee's session lasted three hours, during which it voted on the prizes, with the following results:

The Grand Prize of His Excellency the President: won by the artist Said Akl, unanimously in the first round (his painting: Girl in Yellow)

The prize of the Commissariat of Tourism and Summering: won by the artist Omar Onsi, unanimously and in a single round (his painting: The River, Mairouba)

The first prize of the Ministry of Education: won by the artist Joseph Tarjan and the artist Barkev, equally.

The second prize of the Ministry of Education: won by the artist Jean Khalife (unanimously)

Various prizes of the Ministry of Education: won by Miss Durriyya Fakhoury (her painting: Yusra) and Miss Nadia Saikali (her painting: Girl) (equally)

A prize: to Mrs. Aida Marini (painting: Sunset)

A prize: the artist Nazem Irani (sculpture: Taking Flight)

And the committee commended a number of artists in whose paintings it saw the marks of distinction.