Entries open for 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art

Contemporary Southern Art from The Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston, SC

The Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, SC has opened entries for this year’’s 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art. The award is presented by Society 1858, a member auxiliary group of the Gibbes Museum of Art.

The 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art awards $10,000 to an artist whose work contributes to a new understanding of art in the South. Presented annually, the prize recognizes the highest level of artistic achievement in any media. Artists from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia are eligible to apply. Applications are accepted exclusively through this website from January to May each year. Application instructions can be found at www.1858prize.org/how-to-apply.

Artist Alicia Henry of Nashville was the 2016 winner of the 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art. Henry’’s work specializes in painting, textile and mixed-media installation work that explores social relationships through depictions of the human figure shown in isolation and interacting with one another. An associate professor of Art at Fisk University, Henry’’s artistic goal is to represent a broader vision of society to make visible what often goes unseen.

The 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art is presented by Society 1858, a member auxiliary group of the Gibbes Museum of Art. This group of dynamic young professionals supports the Gibbes Museum with social and educational programs tailored for up-and-coming art patrons.

Published January 9, 2017