Image: Installation shot of the Bayside Acquisitive Art Prize 2016. Supplied.
An annual prize and exhibition for contemporary painting, the Bayside Acquisitive Art Prize offers up a total prize pool of $19,000. Entries are open to artists throughout Australia.
‘With a prize as broad as this, artists are only limited by the medium which the works can be created in. In turn we are seeing a diversity of approaches when it comes to contemporary painting,’ said Michael Brennan, Curator of the Gallery at Bayside Arts and Cultural Centre.
Brennan said he was excited to see the wide range of works being submitted, adding that while the high number of entries made judging the prominent art prize extremely difficult, it is a job he thoroughly enjoys.
‘Seeing these works bounce off one another in the space, and the calibre of the artists that are being attracted to this prize is really heartening,’ he told ArtsHub.
The diverse nature of entries revealed the dynamic nature of contemporary painting, Brennan continued.
‘We are seeing really strong abstraction from artists. We are seeing artists’ use figurative painting in a really contemporary way. We are seeing artists respond to their own environments but also hearing from artists who are engaged with a larger social narrative,’ he said.
Enter the Bayside Acquisitive Art Prize
The aim of the Bayside Acquisitive Art Prize – now in its fourth iteration – is to foster a sense of identity, pride and place in the Bayside community. Brennan said that the community especially looks forward to seeing the creations of contemporary artists. This sense of participation, engagement and excitement ensures the art prize is the best-attended exhibition in Bayside Gallery’s program.
‘There is a local art prize so the community is really quite invested in seeing who the artist will be to take out that prize,’ he said.
The prizes
- $15,000 Bayside Acquisitive Art Prize
- $3,000 Local Art Prize
- $1,000 People’s Choice Prize
The Bayside Acquisitive Art Prize is open nationally. Brennan said that the prize represents an incredible opportunity, not just for the artists but for local residents.
‘Previous winners have had their work displayed in prominent places across Bayside City Council properties and in public spaces. It’s fantastic be able to share the acquired works with the local community,’ he said.
Enter the Bayside Acquisitive Art Prize using the online entry form
Brennan said the prize provided a valuable opportunity to view the diversity of contemporary art practices, in particular the reinvention and reinvigoration of the medium of painting.
‘I would love to see the art prize continue to be embraced as it has been from artists across the county. It’s brilliant we are able to select the work from such a strong group of entries to be acquired by Bayside,’ he said.
The 2018 judging panel was revealed earlier this year. Joining Brennan as judges are Charlotte Day, Director, Monash University Museum of Art and Annika Kristensen, Curator, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art.
An exhibition of the finalists’ work will be shown at the Gallery at Bayside Arts and Cultural Centre in Brighton Town Hall (corner of Carpenter and Wilson Streets, Brighton) from Friday 18 May to Sunday 8 July, 2018.
Brennan encourages artists to reach out to the gallery if they have any questions about the prize, the finalists’ exhibition, or the gallery itself.
‘The space these paintings are exhibited in allows for audiences and judges alike to take in the overall feel of the collection of works that get submitted, but also there is space for the works to be thought about and viewed individually and discreetly – every work gets a chance to stand on its own.’
Entries close 5pm, Thursday 15 February 2018. To learn more visit: www.baysideacquisitiveartprize.com.au/
