- Exhibition at the Waterfront Gallery, in Milford Haven, Wales.
- Prize fund worth £12,000, including a top prize of £3,000.
- Open call for works in 2D or 3D by artists based in the UK or internationally.
- Deadline for entry: Monday 21 August 2023, 5PM.
Developed in 2019 by the Waterfront Gallery with the support of the Welsh Government,
and now in its fourth instalment, Wales Contemporary gives artists the opportunity to show their work in Milford Haven, Wales, and receive prizes totalling £12,000.
The open call invites artists based in the UK and internationally to enter work in 2D or 3D in any subject matter. Accepted mediums include painting, sculpture, drawing, print, ceramic, glass, textile, collage, mixed media, and more.
Shortlisted works will be shown in the Wales Contemporary exhibition, at the Waterfront Gallery, Milford Haven, Wales.
A total of £12,000 will be awarded to selected artists, including a top prize of £3,000.
The prize fund totals £12,000, including the Open Prize, worth £3,000, as well as:
Two dimensional prizes:
- 1st Prize:£2,000
- 2nd Prize:£1,000
- 3rd Prize:£750
- 4th Prize:£500
Three dimensional prizes:
- 1st Prize:£2,000
- 2nd Prize:£1,000
- 3rd Prize:£500
Public’s choice prizes:
- 1st Prize:£1,000
- 2nd Prize:£250
The shortlist and award winners will be chosen by a selection panel comprising:
- Mehdi Moazzen, designer: Iranian-born and UK-educated, Mehdi Moazzen’s first commission was to design beach huts off the Caspian Sea for Farah, Empress of Iran. Coming full circle, his most recent project was to restore the former home of Queen Soraya, the Shah’s second wife in the South of France. His career spans more than 40 years, both within the corporate world – as a former design manager at Herman Miller – and in his own private practice, spanning commercial and residential sectors in Europe and the Middle East. His portfolio ranges from commercial and financial, education and residential, hospitality and leisure, across the globe. He is also a painter and sculptor, often creating custom design furniture to align with his architectural designs.
- Janette Kerr, artist: Janette Kerr is a painter deeply embedded in place, working at the interface between land, sea and historical experience. Called ‘the best painter of the sea in these islands’ by Brian Fallon, Chief Critic of the Irish Times, she represents the swelling and breaking waves, the merging of spray with air, advancing rain and mist, glancing sunlight. Beyond mere topography, but with a nod towards the Northern Romantic tradition in landscape painting, her practice remains contemporary and experimental. Kerr has a PhD in Fine Art, is an Honorary Royal Scottish Academician, RWA Academician, and Past President of the Royal West of England Academy of Art. Exhibiting regularly across the UK and abroad, her work is held in national and international collections.
- Ashley Hall, professor of design innovation: Ashley is Professor of Design Innovation at the Royal College of Art in London and a visiting Professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. He leads postgraduate research in the design school and MRes Healthcare Design with Imperial College. His research focusses on innovation methods, design resilience, design for safety, experimental design, healthcare and cultural transfer. He has an international reputation for collaborative interdisciplinary research and design projects in over 20 countries including Australia, China, Ghana, Greenland, India, Israel and Palestine, Japan, South Africa and the USA. Projects have been conducted with commercial partners including Airbus, BBC, British Airways, Coca-Cola, Ford, Huawei, O2, Philips, Samsung, Swarovski, LG and Unilever.
Wales Contemporary / Cymru Gyfoes has established a strong reputation for championing and rewarding contemporary artists, throughout a wide range of prizes and an exhibition promising to inspire diverse audiences of art lovers.
All artists aged 18 and over are invited to submit 2D or 3D artworks in any medium – excluding photography, digital prints or film. 2D works may be up to 70cm in any dimension. For 3-dimensional work the maximum size is 50cm in any dimension. There is no minimum size limit. The submission fee is £15 for one work, £25 for two and £30 for three.
All shortlisted artworks will be available to see in the Wales Contemporary exhibition at the Waterfront Gallery, Milford Haven, opening to the public from Saturday 21 October to Wednesday 20 December 2023, with a Private View on Friday 20 October 2023 at 2.30pm.
