The Drawing Prize is the largest and longest-running annual open exhibition for drawing in the UK. Selected from original drawings, it has established a reputation for its commitment to championing excellence and for promoting and celebrating the breadth of contemporary drawing practice within the UK.
The Drawing Prize was first established in 1994 by Professor Anita Taylor, Dean of Bath School of Art and Design at Bath Spa University; originally as the Rexel Derwent Open Drawing Exhibition and later becoming known as the Cheltenham Open Drawing Exhibition until Jerwood Charitable Foundation became its principle sponsor in 2001.
Professor Taylor commented: “It has been an immense pleasure to work with Jerwood Charitable Foundation for so many years, during which time we have been able to considerably enhance the position of contemporary drawing in the UK with this sustained and significant financial support. It has been an exciting and inspiring journey for the Drawing Prize project and I am immensely proud that we have been able to support so many talented artists through this key partnership. I look forward to continuing to develop the project into the future with new partners and to celebrating the achievements to date through our final collaboration with Jerwood Charitable Foundation as we deliver Jerwood Drawing Prize 2017.”
Since 2001, Jerwood Charitable Foundation has contributed £941,430 to the project, supporting almost 1,000 Jerwood Drawing Prize artists to date. Since 2002, it has also hosted the annual exhibition as part of its Jerwood Visual Arts programme. The national tour of the exhibition received visits of more than 43,000 last year.
Shonagh Manson, Director of Jerwood Charitable Foundation, said: “It has been an extraordinary privilege to have helped to cement the standing of such an important project as the Drawing Prize, and we look forward to following its fortunes through the next exciting chapter of its story. Jerwood Charitable Foundation supports early career artists and arts projects in the early stages of their development, and we remain committed to supporting drawing as a fundamental element of artistic practice within our Jerwood Visual Arts programme. We will explore new project ideas and collaborations for the future, and look forward to continuing our valued relationships with the exceptional community of artists who have been involved with the Drawing Prize.”
The Drawing Prize exhibition project will continue to be led and developed by Professor Anita Taylor and Bath Spa University. The visual arts in the UK has benefitted enormously from the prestige of the Jerwood Drawing Prize. It has championed the careers of many emerging and established artists and this legacy will continue as the project moves forward into a new phase with new supporters.
Online registration for Jerwood Drawing Prize 2017 will open in March 2017 and registered works will be collected at a number of collection centres across the UK in June. The 2017 exhibition will launch at Jerwood Space, London in September.
For all enquiries please contact: Jane Wakefield, Head of Communications, Bath Spa University 01225 876106/ j.wakefield@bathspa.ac.uk
