- Venue
- Mall Galleries
- Starts
- Monday, September 19, 2016
- Ends
- Saturday, September 24, 2016
- Address
- The Mall, London, SW18
- Location
- London
The Derwent Art Prize was conceived in 2012 and aims to reward excellence by showcasing the very best artworks created in pencil by British and International artists.
This year 1,193 artists submitted a total of 3,299 works of art from around the world, from these, 72 works by 68 artists have been chosen for exhibition by the panel of distinguished selectors: Meryl Ainslie (Founder and Director of Rabley Contemporary Gallery and Drawing centre); Michael Glover (Art critic, Editor, Novelist and Poet) and Eileen Cooper RA (Artist and Keeper of The Royal Academy).
On judging this years’ submissions Eileen Cooper RA commented, “I was very interested and impressed to see the range of drawing submitted. It was indeed a difficult, but enjoyable task to select from such diverse work. I thank my fellow judges for their warmth, generosity and clarity, and of course, thanks to all the artists who entered the competition. I believe we have included thought provoking and powerful drawings, which show a rich variety of approaches and interpretations of the medium. Congratulations to all artists selected for this exhibition. Drawing is thriving, and for me it underpins all areas of artistic practice.”
Alongside the chosen artworks being hung in a public display at the Mall Galleries, prizes totalling £12,500 will be awarded in a private awards ceremony on the opening night of the exhibition on the 19th September 2016. Exhibiting at the Mall Galleries, London (www.mallgalleries.org.uk) from 19th – 24th September 2016 the show will subsequently tour to Trowbridge Arts, Wiltshire (www.trowbridgearts.com) from 30th September – 19th November 2016.
The diversity of pencil works to be exhibited at the Mall Galleries is a testament to this medium’s flexibility and possibility. From coloured, water-soluble or watercolour pencil, to graphite, charcoal, pastel and chalk, all the selected artists demonstrate that Derwent Art Prize 2016 continues to showcase the very best in works in pencil.
The Prizes will be awarded at a private awards ceremony on the 19th September 2016. These include a First Prize of £6,000, Second Prize of £3,500, Third Prize of £1,000 and the Young Artist Award of £500 for artists under 25 years of age. There are also two People’s Choice Award of £750 judged by visitors to the website; one for works in the exhibition, and one from all the 2016 entries. Please visit www.derwent-artprize.com to place your vote.
Astri Thomas-Saunders, Marketing Manager at Derwent comments, “It is important for Derwent to provide a platform for international artists to showcase their work. The Derwent Art Prize is in its 3rd year and has grown to include entrants from as far as Japan. We are proud to be a part of this international event and look forward to the exhibition, which offers artists the opportunity to present their work in a prestigious gallery setting.”
