If you’ve ever wanted to put yourself forward for a big prestigious art competition then now’s your chance with the National Portrait Gallery opening their annual entry for the National Portrait Awards 2013. However, this year the stakes are a little bit higher with an even bigger first prize than ever before.
The first prize award has been raised by £5,000 for the 2013 intake, putting it at an impressive £30,000. There’s also a discretionary £5,000 National Portrait Gallery commission that the judges can give out too, which would be a great springboard for new artistic talent. The second prize winner is set to take away £10,000 and the BP Young Artist Award winner’s prize is £7,000 making the award a significant contributor to new, up-and-coming artists.
Obviously art isn’t really about the money, but this kind of prize money would free up a lot of time to focus on more great art projects in the future, so it’s a great step forward for the prize and the art community. Now in it’s 34th year, the National Portrait Award was set up to support the ongoing art of portraiture, and the new investment will be a big help in keeping that plan on track.
Last year’s first prize was won by Aleah Chapin for her 2011 painting, Auntie, which is a detailed life drawing of an aging and naked lady with a cheeky half smile and her hands crossed in front of her.
You can enter the National Portrait Award 2013 by simply filling out an entry form on the National Portrait Gallery’s website with the closing date set for the 11th February 2013. The exhibition will then run from the 20th June to 15th September 2013 at the Gallery before setting off on tour around the UK.
Entry is open to any artist over the age of 18 and the prize winners and the exhibited works will be selected by a judging panel chaired by Sandy Nairne, Director of the National Portrait Gallery.
