By David Bell, Duluth, Ga. | Since 2010, the Jacqueline Casey Hudgens Center for the Arts has bi-annually offered a $50,000 art prize to a talented Georgian. The Center is now accepting entries for the fourth cycle of our prestigious visual arts prize. With a stunning cash award of $50,000 and a solo exhibition for one talented Georgia Artist, the Hudgens Prize is one of the largest awards given to an individual artist in the entire nation. The purpose of the competition is to elevate and promote the arts and artists of Georgia, while providing a transformational opportunity for the winning artist.
Ife Williams, executive director of The Hudgens, says: “As we launch the fourth cycle of the Hudgens Prize, we are keenly aware of its significance. I am honored to have the privilege of providing this unparalleled opportunity for Georgia artists through the generous contributions of our community. With each cycle of awards, we strive to increase the program’s reach. It is undeniable that artists across our entire state experience transformational opportunities from having their work reviewed by a panel of world class jurors; this process and the relationships formed have long lasting impact.”
The 2015 Hudgens Prize Recipient Bethany Collins, who continues to be a rising star on the national level, echoes this sentiment: “The inseparable impact and value of the Hudgens Prize is in the cash award being paired with a lengthy conversation between finalists and jurors. Together, those two charge us with the work to come… It’s our conversation unfurling over the long-haul that I hold as so particularly valuable.”
Angela Nichols, programming and education director at the Hudgens, notes: “The size and scope of this award illustrates our organization’s commitment to strengthening the arts in our state. The Hudgens Prize enables us to support and garner exposure for Georgia artists at a very high level, something we are very proud of.”
The Hudgens Prize competition is open to all individual artists, age 18 and up, living as full time residents in the state of Georgia. Visual artwork of any medium will be considered. Works previously exhibited at the Hudgens are ineligible for inclusion in Hudgens Prize Exhibitions. All work must have been completed within the last two years. Entry requires a $30 non-refundable fee, and entitles each artist to submit up to ten examples of their work.
Competition entries are to be submitted online via digital upload, and will be accepted between September 16 and November 10, 2016. Artists may visit the Hudgens’ website to access the application link.
2017 Hudgens Prize Jury Panel:
- Cesar Garcia, director and chief curator, The Mistake Room, Los Angeles, Calif.;
- Janet Koplos, art writer and critic. St. Paul, Minn.; and
- Diana Nawi, associate curator, Pérez Art Museum Miami, Miami, Fla.
Jurors will review images and artist statements throughout November and December, and will select four artists to participate in the Finalists’ Exhibition, based on submitted materials. Each of the four Finalists will receive a $1,500 cash stipend to cover exhibition related expenses.
The Hudgens Prize will be awarded based on visits to the four finalist’s studios and the works on view in the 2017 Hudgens Prize Finalists’ Exhibition. The new prize recipient will be announced at the Hudgens Prize Award Celebration, which will take place on September 30, 2017.
- For more information and the full Rules of Entry, please visit thehudgens.org.
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