Paul Smith’s Foundation and Winsor & Newton are partnering to launch a new art prize in painting and drawing. Six winning artists will be selected from a free-to-enter Open Call, chosen by a notable, local industry representative (full list below) who has the networks and experience to develop an artist’s professional practice.
Each artist will receive a monetary donation from Paul Smith’s Foundation and up to £1,000 worth of materials of their choosing from Winsor & Newton to make a new piece of work which will be hung for sale in their local Paul Smith store. In Year One, one artist will be chosen in Tokyo, Hong Kong, London, Paris, New York and Los Angeles.
Participating stores have been especially selected for their valuable location with high foot count, proximity to art-relevant areas, or a reputation for selling artwork. They include Ocean Centre (Hong Kong); Albemarle Street (London), Rue de Grenelle (Paris), Ginza (Tokyo), Melrose Avenue (Los Angeles) and Wooster St (New York). Winning artists will keep 100% of the proceeds from a sale of their work and are invited to attend an intimate dinner with the judges at Mount St Restaurant in October, in London, hosted by Sir Paul Smith.
Helly Summerly, Winsor & Newton’s Global Brand Director said: “We are honoured to be partnering with Paul Smith’s Foundation to offer this unique and first-of-its-kind opportunity to early career artists. It quickly became clear that we share Sir Paul’s ethos to support art, and artists, and give back to the artistic community so this initiative is a wonderful manifestation of that common purpose. As a global brand, Winsor & Newton’s mission is to the see the world ‘Through the Eyes of the Artist’, and so the prize’s theme of ‘Finding Inspiration Everywhere’ is completely aligned with that vision, and we can’t wait to explore the diversity and originality of entries that the prize will no doubt attract”.
Travel and accommodation expenses are generously funded by Winsor & Newton. Artists will also be featured in a short film, commissioned by Winsor & Newton, to be released in November 2024.
A world-renowned and market-leading heritage artist materials company, Winsor & Newton was established in London in 1832 and received its first Royal Warrant in 1841 – an honour that it still retains Used by notable names such as Edvard Munch, JMW Turner, Georgia O’Keefe, David Hockney and Piet Mondrian, Winsor & Newton continues to innovate and experiment, launching and re-launching products from the world’s first moist watercolours (1835); the world’s first alkyd oil colour (1976); the artist’s oil bar (1992) and water-soluble oils (1998).
Today, Winsor & Newton’s portfolio spans both Fine Art and Graphic Art, and its products are used by artists of all abilities around the world and supplied to over 120 countries with an estimated global share of 27%* making it the market leader in art materials.
For decades, Sir Paul Smith has championed art and artists. From a 20-yr scholarship with the Royal Academy Schools, to a collection of over 10,000 works of art exhibited in stores worldwide. Originals from names including Damien Hirst, Lynette Yiadom-Boake and Banksy are showcased alongside works from early career artists in a globally rotating programme of showcases and selling exhibitions. To date, over 120 artists have exhibited their work around the world with Paul Smith, including existing and especially commissioned pieces.
The W&N x PSF Art Prize is first international art project from Paul Smith’s Foundation, who are thrilled to be working with leading international voices in the sector to establish a new programme of support and build networks for artists in their local area. The judges include –
Credit Afshin Shahidi
César García-Alvarez, Los Angeles
Founding Executive & Artistic Director of The Mistake Room
César García-Alvarez is the Founding Executive & Artistic Director of The Mistake Room (TMR) in Los Angeles, an independent space showcasing global artist projects and exhibitions. He has curated works by Oscar Murillo, Vivian Suter, Ed Clark, Felipe Baeza, and Diana Thater. Previously, he was Associate Director and Senior Curator at LAXART and co-curator of the first LA Biennial, Made in L.A. (2012). César was the US Commissioner for the Cairo Biennial (2013) and co-curator of Desert X in the Coachella Valley (2021). In 2023, he was named to the Apollo 40 Under 40 list.
Aaina Bhargava, Hong Kong
Arts & Culture Editor, Tatler Asia
Aaina Bhargava is the Arts and Culture Editor of Tatler Asia, based in Hong Kong. She covers cultural trends and issues through interviews with industry leaders and emerging talents. Previously a culture reporter at the South China Morning Post, she has contributed to Art Review, The Art Newspaper, Ocula, Design Anthology, and Artomity. Aaina has extensive experience working with various art institutions in Asia and the UK.
Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn, New York
Founder, Salon 94 and Salon 94 Design
Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn is the founder of Salon 94 and Salon 94 Design, a prominent gallery and project space in New York. Salon 94 features diverse artists like Marilyn Minter, Huma Bhabha, Derrick Adams, and Niki de Saint Phalle. In 2017, Jeanne launched Salon 94 Design, bridging the gap between design and high art. She represents designers such as Max Lamb and Jay Sae Jung Oh and the estate of Donald Judd furniture. Jeanne is on the boards of White Columns and Performa.
Kyoko Hattori, Tokyo
Vice President, PACE
Kyoko Hattori is Vice President at PACE, leading the gallery’s new development in Azabudai Hills. Formerly Regional Director of Phillips in Japan, she opened Phillips’s Tokyo office in 2016, enhancing its status as a top auction house. Kyoko holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Tokyo and has experience in major financial services and consulting firms. She serves on the Board of FWD Group, a leading Pan-Asian insurance company.
Photo credit Zeinab Batchelor
Ekow Eshun, London
Curator, Writer, Broadcaster, and Chair of the Fourth Plinth
Ekow Eshun is a curator, writer, and broadcaster, Chair of London’s Fourth Plinth, and former Director of the Institute of Contemporary Arts. His recent exhibitions include “The Time Is Always Now” at the National Portrait Gallery (2024) and “In The Black Fantastic” at the Hayward Gallery (2022), which earned the Curatorial Prize from the Association for Art History. Ekow has authored several books and contributed to artist catalogues for Mark Bradford, Kehinde Wiley, Chris Ofili, John Akomfrah, Deborah Roberts, and Wangechi Mutu. He is a judge for the Turner Prize 2024 and served on the jury for the British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2024.
Fabien Vallérian, Paris
International Director of Arts & Culture at Ruinart
Fabien Vallérian, a graduate of Sciences Po Paris and HEC Paris, began his career in marketing at Baccarat crystal in 2008. In 2016, he became Marketing and Commercial Director of the Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres. Joining Maison Ruinart in 2018 as International Arts and Culture Director, he promotes Ruinart’s ties to the art world through artist commissions (including David Shrigley, Tomas Saraceno, NILS-UDO, Eva Jospin, Andrea Bowers) and partnerships with fairs, museums, galleries, and various Ruinart art prizes globally.
Applications for Paul Smith’s Foundation and Winsor & Newton painting and drawing art prize open on Monday 13 May and close at midnight on Sunday 30 June and can be submitted here:
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