Footscray Art Prize is back after successful inaugural year
Entries have now opened for the biennial Footscray Art Prize.
Friday 23 November 2018
The esteemed Footscray Art Prize opens on Friday 23 November, giving artists from across Australia the opportunity to showcase their art in the thriving creative hub of Footscray in Melbourne’s inner west, and share in $17,500 worth of prizes.
After receiving over 800 entries for the inaugural prize in 2017, the 2019 Footscray Art Prize is expected to attract a large number of high calibre submissions across its four categories.
"The inaugural Footscray Art Prize celebrated the richness of Footscray on a national platform. I was particularly pleased with the interest in the Tertiary and Young Artists Prizes, which resulted in an incredibly diverse exhibition that showcased the next generation of Australian artists. The 2019 Prize promises to be even more exciting and I look forward to working with our partners to continue its development into one of Australia’s most sought after Art Prizes."
Peter Dawkins AO, Vice-Chancellor Victoria University
The main prize is valued $10,000, while the Street Art Prize is valued at $5,000 and pays tribute to the inner west’s thriving street art scene and gives the winning artist the opportunity to bring their work to life on a prominent wall in Footscray.
On top of this, the next generation of Australian artists will have a chance to showcase their work. The Tertiary Art Prize, valued at $1,500, is open to Australians studying at a tertiary education institution. The Young Artists Prize, featuring two categories each valued at $500, encourages primary and secondary students in Melbourne’s west to explore their creativity.
The 2019 Footscray Art Prize will be judged by a panel of experts, including:
- Katrina Sedgwick, Director and CEO – Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI)
- Hanna Presley, Curator – Australian Centre of Contemporary Art (ACCA)
- Raafat Ishak, Artist and Head of Painting – Victorian College of the Arts (VCA)
- Simon Spain, Founding Director – Art Play (Young Artists category)
Entries close on 15 March 2019 and are open to all Australian residents, with no restrictions on visual art media. Winners will be announced in June, with a shortlist available in late April. Shortlisted works will be on display at a Footscray Art Prize exhibition, which will be held at Footscray Community Arts Centre (Main and Street Art Prizes), and VU at MetroWest (Tertiary and Young Artists Prize).
Entries are open from Friday 23 November 2018 and can be submitted online. For more information, visit www.footscrayartprize.com.
