Barti Art
We had a year off but it's coming back with a bang! Barti Art 2027 here we go!
In case you need a recap, you can find the 2025 winners here. Learn all about the money we raised for charity through Barti Art in 2025 here.
What is Barti Art?
Barti Art is an annual competition held by Barti Rum which encourages individuals of all abilities to get get creative!
Why take part?
Each year there are cash prizes for first, second and third prize plus runners up win bottles of rum. Not only this, it's a great excuse to flex your creative muscles over the cooling autumn and darker months of December, January and February, money is raised for charity as all art can be bid on in our digital auction.
2018 entry, scarf by Marissa Therez.
Who can enter?
Anyone over 18. Literally. Professionals and people who haven't picked up a pencil since school are all encouraged.
What happens to the art entries?
Every year, normally over February half term all the entries are displayed at an exhibition somewhere in West Wales. This is where members of the public can visit throughout the week at their leisure to see what's been created. They will have an opportunity to bid on pieces of art for charity if they wish. It's also where the judging happens. The venue is normally a pub, restaurant or hotel which is a superb fit, we enjoy collaborating with the hospitality industry in the quieter months.
Previous exhibition venues have been, The Druidstone Hotel, Wiseman's Bridge Inn, The Old Point House Angle, The Castle Inn Newport and Hwb Narberth.
After the exhibition all art is removed and distributed to the owners of the winning bids. Unfortunately, unless you bid on your art and you win, your art cannot be returned.
Ceramic jug winning entry by Joanne Robey 2019
What type of art is accepted?
As long as it's not offensive, or especially enormous and unable to fit inside the exhibition venue, any and all forms of art are accepted from jewellery to sculpture to furniture to print paintings and everything in between.
Digital entries can be submitted to mail@bartirum.wales but these need to be submitted one week prior to the official deadline to allow time for them to be processed, printed and mounted if applicable.
Winning sculpture entry by Paul R Martin 2023
Who judges the art?
The team at Barti Rum plus a guest judge who is a professional artist. For the first four years screen print artist and designer of the Barti Label Tom Frost has helped judge.
Entry form 2019 by Sammey and Mark
What charity is money raised for?
The charity changes every year and is generally an environmental charity. Past charities we have supported were NARC (Neptune's Army of Rubbish Cleaners who cleaned up rubbish in the sea), The Wildlife Trust, Greenpeace and Sea Trust Wales.
Oil painting entered by Mariett Voke in 2019
2024 entry by Samara Van Rijswijk
Barti Art 2027 The Details!
Theme. Every year we toy with having a more defined theme for the competition. But every year we come to the conclusion we don't want to restrict it, so as ever this year we are asking you to create art inspired by Barti Rum. We implore you to consider all avenues of what this could mean. The flavours, the liquid, the setting in which Barti might be enjoyed, the concept of Barti country and what that means to you, the pirate story, the details within the pirate story - music, theatre, adventure. This year we launched our ready to drink can range, each cans design features a bird by a local Welsh artist (one of which is Matt Joyce, former Barti Art entrant) the cans could also somehow be a source of inspiration.
Medium. An abstract painting of a swirling sea of rum? A collage made of seaweed and dried coastal plants depicting John Roberts departure from British shores? A carving of the pirate code on a plank of driftwood? A chandelier made from empty Barti bottles? A pattern print of Barti serves and cocktails? A set of four ceramic cups, each one suited to the season for drinking Barti?
Basically, as long as it's not offensive or dangerous to display in any way, you can make and create anything you want.
Prizes. First place will win £500 plus a bottle of Barti Rum, a bottle of Barti Cream and a pack of Barti ready to drink cans. Second place will take £200 plus a bottle of Barti Rum, a bottle of Barti Cream and a pack of Barti ready to drink cans. Third place will get £50 and a bottle of Barti Rum and a bottle of Barti Cream. Ten runners up will win a bottle of Barti Rum or Barti Cream or twelve ready to drink cans (their choice).
Deadline. All physical artwork must arrive at Barti HQ by 6th February 2027. The address for posting/delivery is Unit 22, Honeyborough Industrial Estate, Neyland, Milford Haven, SA73 1SE.
We encourage you to print your own graphic illustrations, however digital entries can be emailed to mail@bartirum.wales these must be submitted by the earlier deadline of the 30th Jan to allow time for us to process, print and mount them if applicable.
We can accept art entries as early as October 2026.
Exhibition. The venue for the 2027 exhibition is TBC.
Charity Auction. The charity which will benefit from the 2027 exhibition is TBC.
Terms and conditions. Art work becomes the property of Barti Rum Ltd at the point of submission. You cannot have your artwork back becuase it will be offered for sale as part of the charity auction. You are welcome to bid on your own artwork. In some circumstances, if your art does not sell you can have it back but only if you contact us within a one week window and collect your art within a three week window following the exhibition. We cannot accept late entries. We will do everything we can to display your art work at the exhibition, but we cannot guarantee that there will be sufficient space or technical ability to display entries such as installation and film, however in these instances we can display a QR code so people can view the work online. The winners will be chosen by the Barti team and a guest judge who is a successful practicing local artist, all judging decisions are final.
Get thinking, get creating, good luck!
Full gallery of entries 2018 on Facebook
Gallery mixture of 2018 and 2019 entries on Facebook
Entries video 2023 on Instagram
Winners video 2023 on instagram
Exhibition at The Castle Inn 2024 video on Instagram
The first of several posts showing the runners up and winners 2024 on Instagram
Barti Art 2025 poster
Barti Art 2024 poster
Barti Art 2019 poster for social media
Barti Art 2018 poster for social media
Scroll the historical stories which inspired Barti Rum
1607
The First Record Of Welsh People Eating Seaweed
Laverbread is recorded as a staple food, eaten in South Wales in William Camden’s work, Britania. The people of Swansea and the surrounding area are among the most charmed by this savoury green ingredient and devour it routinely, normally as part of their breakfast.
1682
A Young Boy Leaves Pembrokeshire
A boy called John Roberts was born in Casnewydd Bach (Little Newcastle in English), a tiny village in Pembrokeshire, West Wales. The boy grew and left home aged 11, he is recorded as joining the British Royal Navy in the lowest of ranks aged just 13.
1719
Roberts Is Forced To Join His Pirate Captors
Age 37 Roberts’ long lowly career in the Navy has been habitually unremarkable until one day the ship he is working aboard is captured by pirates. Reluctant to join them, but less inclined towards being murdered, Roberts is initiated into the pirate crew which happens to be captained by another Pembrokeshire man, Howel Davies from Milford Haven.
1720
Bartholemew The New Captain
Immediately hitting it off with his captor, John Roberts and Hywel Davies speak Welsh to one another and Davies values Roberts’ excellent navigational skills which were entirely overlooked by his former royal naval colleagues. When Davies is killed, the very popular second in command is immediately voted in as the new captain and takes on the alias name Bartholemew Roberts.
1721
The Most Prolific Pirate Career
Bartholemew is wanted dead by several of the richest countries in the world for his notoriously effective interceptions of Atlantic trading ships. Famed for his unprecedented success at seizing huge amounts of treasure over a short period, fiercely enforcing his pirate code which ensures every crew member (a third of whom were black) has an equal share and vote, ensuring his men don’t mistreat women, and being unapologetically unique in terms of style and attitude for the time.
1722
Forever Known As Barti Ddu or in English Black Bart
After his death Bartholomew Roberts becomes known as the infamous Black Bart, or Barti Ddu in Welsh. Barti Ddu was long constrained by poverty and the societal norms of the seventeen hundreds before his capture which ultimately freed him to be the individual he truly was.
It’s well documented that Bartholemew Roberts spent very little time in the company of women, some historians speculate that he was gay or in fact a she.
1879
A Pembrokeshire Shipwreck Over 100yrs After Barti's Death
The Thomas M Reed, bound for Liverpool from San Fransisco with tonnes of precious cargo. The ship never made it, wrecking off the Pembrokeshire coast. Cargo was strewn along Freshwater West, a secluded beach on the most South West tip of Wales, attracting people from as far as Swansea. The visitors noticed the abundant laver seaweed growing at Freshwater West realising it could be used to up production of their beloved laverbread. A deal was struck and laver began being picked by local women and transported to Swansea for processing.
1940
Seaweed Collecting At Freshwater West Peaks Then Fades Away
The best of the seaweed harvesting years at Freshwater West are over as food fashions change and the availability of new and exciting delicacies arrive.
1995
A Physical Symbol Of Pembrokeshire's Seaweed Harvesting Heritage
The last remaining seaweed drying hut at Freshwater West beach is restored by The National Trust and becomes a grade two listed building.