The Welsh Artist of the Year award was an annual art competition in Cardiff's St David's Hall, open to amateur and professional artists with a link to Wales. It ran annually from 2000.[1][2][3]
The competition became a significant feature in the Welsh visual arts calendar, possibly due to the prestige associated with the title Welsh Artist of The Year. However the title's relationship with the actual competition structure could be seen as misleading, first because the selection process required the artist to submit an application form and pay an entry fee (therefore only participating artists could be considered). The selection was also limited to one artwork per artist, and that artwork was limited in size, rather than considering an artist's entire contribution for the year, which the title may suggest.[4][5][6] A comparison with Cardiff's well-resourced Artes Mundi prize may put the actual stature of Welsh Artist of the Year into perspective.
Prizes were awarded in Painting, Drawing, Sculpture, Photography, and Applied arts categories, as well as a Student prize. An overall winner and runner-up prize were awarded.[7] Winners were chosen by a judging panel composed mainly of fellow artists,[8] with the winner receiving a cheque for £2000.
Following the announcement of the winners in June an exhibition was held at St David's Hall, showing the prizewinners and shortlisted works.[7]
It was announced that the competition would not be held in 2014, as staff would be focusing their efforts on developing the "visual arts in the capital".[9]
Winners
edit| Year | Winners | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | No competition | |
| 2013 | Sarah Ball (painting) [7] | John Abell (printmaking)[8] |
| 2012 | Gemma Copp (video) [10] | Aled Rhys Hughes (photography) |
| 2011 | Paul Emmanuel (painting on sheep fleece) [11] | Pamela Rawnsley (applied arts) |
| 2010 | Elfyn Lewis (painting) [1][12] | Emily Jenkins (sculpture) |
| 2009 | Tim Freeman (printmaking)[13] | Fern Thomas (photography) |
| 2008 | Philippa Lawrence (conceptual sculpture/photography)[14] | Eleri Mills (painting) |
| 2007 | Walter Keeler (ceramics) [15] | Second prize: Virginia Head (drawing) Third prize: Daphne Hurn (painting) |
| 2006 | Ruth Harries (textiles)[16] | Elizabeth Forrest (sculpture) |
| 2005 | Sally Moore (painting)[12] | |
| 2003 | Brendan Stuart Burns (painting)[17] | Philip Nicol (painting)[18] |
| 2002 | Rob Piercy (painting)[19] | Tony Goble (painting) |
| 2000 | Brendan Stuart Burns (painting)[20] | Clive Hicks-Jenkins (painting)[21] |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Welsh Artist of the Year, BBC Wales (blog), 23 June 2010. Retrieved 2013-08-23.
- ^ "Noms open for Welsh Artist of the Year", Buzz Magazine, 3 February 2010. Retrieved 2013-08-23.
- ^ "Welsh artist of the year", Axis artists' database. Retrieved 2013-09-06.
- ^ "Welsh Artist of the Year review", Vulgar Culture website. Retrieved 2013-10-13.
- ^ "Welsh Artist of the Year 2013 review", Wales Arts Review. Retrieved 2013-10-13.
- ^ "2013 application form", St David's Hall. Retrieved 2013-10-13.
- ^ a b c "Welsh Artist of the Year 2013 is announced", WalesOnline, 9 June 2013. Retrieved 2013-08-23.
- ^ a b "Sarah Ball named Welsh Artist of the Year 2013", a-n.co.uk, 11 June 2013. Retrieved 2013-08-23.
- ^ "St Davids Hall Cardiff > Exhibitions". Archived from the original on 2014-03-22. Retrieved 2013-09-06.
- ^ "Gemma Copp named Welsh Artist of the Year", WalesOnline, 2 July 2012. Retrieved 2013-08-23.
- ^ "Welsh Artist of Year: Fleece painter Paul Emmanuel", BBC Wales, 6 June 2011. Retrieved 2013-08-23.
- ^ a b "Elfyn named Welsh Artist of the Year", Cambrian News, 24 June 2010. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
- ^ "Tim Freeman - Welsh Artist of the Year", Buzz Magazine, 27 May 2009. Retrieved 2013-08-23.
- ^ "Philippa named Welsh Artist of Year", WalesOnline, 23 June 2008. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
- ^ "Keeler named Welsh Artist of the Year for the joy of 'W.I.'", Western Mail, 4 June 2007. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
- ^ Susie Wild, "Welsh Artist of Year", Metro, 27 June 2006. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
- ^ "Brendan Stuart Burns".
- ^ "Second time winner of Artist of the Year inspired by coastline", Western Mail, 9 June 2003. Retrieved 2013-09-13.
- ^ Hannah Jones (24 April 2002) "Late arrival a winner for Piercy; PAINTING: Landscape watercolourist successfully moves in new direction.", Western Mail. Retrieved 2013-08-25.
- ^ "Awards and Prizes". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2013-09-05.
- ^ "Clive Hicks-Jenkins - Biography". Archived from the original on 2013-09-20. Retrieved 2013-09-05.