Blog
The art of applying to art prizes
artists
4 July 2014
It can be a full-time job entering art prizes.
The process is long:
- reading the rules and regulations
- considering the artwork
- making the artwork
- photographing the artwork
- labelling the artwork
- delivering the artwork
- and then there is the wait... waiting for the work to be short listed and then waiting for the winner to be announced.
The outcomes can be very rewarding – the golden ticks. A golden tick from the inner art world circle, a golden tick on the CV, a golden tick from the collectors and, of course, the golden dollars attached to each prize.
What happens if one's artwork is not selected? The artist feels rejected, insecurities set in and they question... "Why do I do this?", "Should I bother applying again?", "I'm not good enough or young enough to compete with the cool cats."
I have many dear friends who are going through this exact process and it is one that is tedious and laborious.
In July there are 3 major prizes that are being announced:
The Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes are annual exhibitions supported by the
Art Gallery of NSW:
- The Archibald Prize, first awarded in 1921, is given to the best portrait painting. The Archibald Prize is a who's who of Australian culture – from politicians to celebrities, sporting heroes to artists.
- The Wynne Prize is awarded to the best landscape painting of Australian scenery or figure sculpture.
- The Sulman Prize is given to the best subject painting, genre painting or mural project in oil, acrylic, watercolour or mixed media.
Each year, the trustees of the Art Gallery of NSW judge the Archibald and Wynne Prizes, and they invite an artist to judge the Sulman Prize. In 2014 it is Jenny Watson.
It is also a busy time of the year for art couriers, as they deliver the works to the Art Gallery of NSW. While most art prizes in Australia allow the artists to submit their entries online, with the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman the works must be delivered to the Art Gallery of NSW to be viewed in the flesh by the judges.
The winners will be announced on 18 July and the highly anticipated exhibition can be viewed between 19 July and 28 September.