The Bennett Prize (Round 4)

The Bennett Prize (Round 4) is now open for entries!

The Bennett Prize (Round 4): Steven Alan Bennett and Dr. Elaine Melotti Schmidt, founders of The Bennett Collection, are pleased to announce a call for entries for The Bennett Prize, a biennial award that seeks to propel the careers of women figurative realist painters who have not yet realized full professional recognition, empowering new artists and those who have painted for many years.

Short description

The Bennett Prize is a stipend/grant-in-aid program established by American art collectors Steven Alan Bennett and Dr. Elaine Melotti Schmidt to support the fine art practice of a woman painter working in figurative realism.

This is a biennial award that seeks to propel the careers of women figurative realist painters who have not yet realized full professional recognition, empowering new artists and those who have painted for many years.

Paintings must depict representational images of one or more figures of any gender. Figures may be clothed or nude and do not need to be photorealistic. All entries must be traditional paintings, which is defined as paint upon a two-dimensional surface. For this purpose, watercolor, gouache, and pastels are considered “paint.” Mixed media pieces will be considered as long as paint is the primary material. Paintings rendered over the top of photographic images are NOT eligible. Only original works completed in the past five years are eligible for consideration.

The 10 Finalists will participate in a traveling exhibition organized by the Muskegon Museum of Art.

Submission requirements:

➜ Each artist may submit up to five paintings for consideration by jurors. All entrants must also include one detail image that demonstrates their craft and technique. Entries that do not include a minimum of three pieces and one detail will not be considered.

➜ Accepted artists must provide images and details for a minimum of four (4) paintings available for exhibition no later than Dec. 20, 2024, to maintain their eligibility.

➜ Paintings must be fully dry and suitable for travel to multiple venues. Ideally, paintings will be framed, though this is not required. All works must hang using wires, cleats or D-rings. Works on paper must be framed and glazed.

Who may enter?

The Bennett Prize is open only to women eighteen (18) years or older residing at least part time in the United States (50 States and Washington, D.C.) whose primary practice is the creation of original paintings in the genre of figurative realism, and who identifies as a woman, regardless of their assigned gender at birth. Part-time residence must include an active studio practice in the U.S. (On-site studio visits are a required component of The Prize.) U.S. Citizenship is not required.

Prize:

Ten finalists will be selected to participate in a traveling exhibition organized by the Muskegon Museum of Art (MMA) and the winner will be showcased in a solo exhibition at the close of her grant. A runner up award of $10,000 will be given to one additional finalist.

Entry fees:

The fee for entry is $40.