Many art prizes were set up as a way for galleries to extend their reach, particularly in the case of regional galleries. But in the post-digital era where it is much easier to connect with artists a lot of prizes have begun to reassess thier role and what they can offer.
Acting Gallery Manager of Gold Coast City Gallery Virginia Rigney said organisations that offer prizes needed to rethink. ‘​You have to look at how you run those prizes and what makes them relevant. I think there are very few prizes that have remained pretty much as they were at the very beginning.’
Here’s how some Australian prizes are reinterpreting the traditional format to provide new opportunities for visual artists.
New prizes
The Borrowed Wall Art Prize is being offered for the first time this year by the City of Liverpool in NSW. The Council is looking to further a sense of community through a new public art initiative, to reinvent the facade of the the Liverpool City Library. The first public art prize in Liverpool will award a $10,000 prize and a further $10,000 for the installation, as well as a chance to introduce public art to this vibrant community.
Stanthorpe Art Festival ​offers a $20,000 main prize, available to artists working in any media – excluding video – and on any subject. But this year it has also introduced two new art prizes of $5000 each, ​one for three dimensional works and another for two dimensional works.These additional prizes are aimed at encouraging entries in a wider range of media.
Nicola Holly, Gallery Director Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery said Stanthorpe aims for a broad pool of entries.
‘Its not thematic, we don’t have many restrictions on things, apart from video art which because of space restriction we can’t accept at the moment, and aside from that we take everything,’ she said.
Another prize aiming for a more diverse field is the Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize. It has removed many of the previous categories that restricted the type of works accepted and added a scientist’s prize of $5,000 to reinforce the link between art and science that it was originally designed to foster.
Two main award categories are available to artists, including an open competition award with $30,000 in prize money up for grabs, and a $10,000 emerging artist award to support new artists. A further $5,000 will be available through the people’s choice award.
Reinventing the medium
Gone are the days when ceramic was all about little brown jugs.
The 2016 International Ceramic Art Prize emphasises diversity by calling for works that push the boundaries of the medium it champions. Ceramics in the hands of a contemporary artist can say contemporary things while also referencing the past.
Gold Coast City Gallery runs the prize, which showcases the revival of ceramics in contemporary art.
The prize also encourages a new selection each year through the appointment of a different judge, who bring with them a very deep knowledge of the medium. This allows for a varied selection that reflects the diversity of practice in contemporary ceramics.
Residency opportunities
The Albany Art Prize brings together a significant monetary award of $25,000 and up to one month studio residency at the heritage-listed building of the Vancouver Art Centre, also including $2,500 to offset any travel costs the artist may incur.
By incorporating a residency program the Albany Art Prize fosters a unique relationship between community and artist.
‘It’s very exciting for the community to have somebody that comes into town feeling very happy and delighted and this makes the whole experience very positive for both the artists and the community,’ said Indra Geidans, Visual Arts Officer at City of Albany.
The Shire of East Pilbara is reinterpreting the relationship between the artist, the environment and the local community to create opportunities for locals and artists alike with the Art at the Heart residency. This program allows artists to produce a body of work specifically tailored to the artist’s practice. For 6-8 weeks the resident artist will work closely with the wider community to explore the local region and create a legacy artwork.
With $15,000 awarded to the selected artist, plus up to $40,000 available for the creation of works and the delivery of the community engagement program this is one of the richest opportunity available to artists in Australia.
With entries opening in March, artists still have time to enter the popular Cossack Art Awards. But really, why wouldn’t you with a total prize pool of $100,000 available?​​
Another significant prize pool can be found in the Cossack Art Awards, which have grown significantly in recent years and now includes a $30,000 major prize and a residency program. The awards continue to bring the works of hundreds of talented artists together in an annual celebration of art in regional Australia.
Year-round opportunities
Not all organisations focus on a single prize. In line with its aim to provide the community with access to the arts the City of Stonnington has announced a significant budget of $425,000. With this money they will support emerging and early-mid career artists, as well as arts organisations and groups who will enliven the city with new projects and activities.
‘Art and culture play vital roles in our community. Our city is culturally diverse and we embrace art and culture as significant ways to promote creative communities and create dynamic spaces,’ said Stonnington Mayor Melina Sehr.
