2023 Footscray Art Prize applications now open
Published on 05 October 2022
Applications are now open for the 2023 Footscray Art Prize.
This biennial visual art prize welcomes entries from local and national artists, providing an opportunity to celebrate the artistic vibrancy and creativity within the local Footscray community and beyond. Winners will share in $33,000 worth of prizes across four categories:
- Footscray Art Prize ($20,000)
- Local Acquisition Prize ($10,000)
- Residency Artist Prize ($2,000)
- Young Artists Prize for primary students ($500) and secondary students ($500)
Recognising the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 on visual artists, this year the Main Prize money has doubled to support artists emerging from the pandemic.
Artist Lee Harrop has said winning the Main Art Prize in 2021 for her work, And this, too, shall pass 2020, was a career highlight that has helped raise her profile as an artist.
“The Footscray Art Prize is a prestigious event on the national calendar. The opportunity to have my artwork considered by a panel of highly qualified judges was a major drawcard. It was an honour to see my artwork thoughtfully positioned alongside other finalists’ works in a carefully curated exhibition across several of the Footscray gallery spaces. The prize money enabled me to continue my art practice through the challenging times brought about by the pandemic,” Lee said.
The Main Art Prize is open to Australian residents aged 18 and over who are invited to submit an original artistic artwork, including paintings, drawings or photographs.
The Local Acquisition Prize is open to residents of inner-west local government areas, with the winning artwork selected by Maribyrnong City Council for their art collection.
The Residency Artist Prize is a non-acquisitive prize for artists to explore new ideas with the winning artist also receiving an artistic residency at Footscray Community Arts.
The Young Artists Prize celebrates the creativity of young people from Melbourne’s west and is open to primary and secondary school students of inner-west local government areas.
Entries close at midday on Monday 20 March 2023, and winners will be announced in July 2023. The Footscray Art Prize exhibition will open on 15 July and shortlisted works will be on display at Footscray Community Arts.
The Footscray Art Prize is a partnership between Victoria University, Maribyrnong City Council, Footscray Community Arts and the Rotary Club of Footscray, who will also host a Footscray Art Prize Dinner and Auction on Saturday 5 August 2023 to raise funds for local youth projects.
For more information about the prizes and their requirements, visit footscrayartprize.com
Message from the Mayor, Councillor Anthony Tran
Council is proud to continue to support our arts community through the biennial Footscray Art Prize. Footscray is a thriving cultural and creative hub with an enviable reputation as a centre of arts and culture in the inner west, which has been reflected in the success of the Footscray Art Prize to date. Applications for the 2023 Prize are now open and I encourage creatives from across the City, state and country to apply.
Message from Footscray Community Arts’ Artistic Director, Daniel Santangeli
Independent artists in Australia have been hit hard by COVID-19. Many experienced a loss of work and struggled to access government support schemes. By doubling the value of the major prize, we wanted to recognise that support for artists is most acute now in this time of recovery.
Message from Professor Adam Shoemaker, Vice-Chancellor and President of Victoria University
Victoria University is proud to support the fourth biennial Footscray Art Prize, alongside our valued partners Footscray Community Arts, Maribyrnong City Council and Footscray Rotary.
Since its inception in 2016, the Prize has provided a national platform for Footscray’s creative community — recognising the region’s enduring and ever-growing arts, culture, and creative industries.
The Young Artists category, in particular, has been a highlight for many years, with local primary and secondary school students getting the unique opportunity to create and exhibit work. We look forward to showcasing the next generation of Australian visual artists in the 2023 Footscray Art Prize exhibition.
Maribyrnong News
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