We are delighted to announce the shortlisted artists for this year’s Flourish Award. Included in the touring exhibition are:
Caitriona Dunnett, Daniel Howden, Dianne Murphy, Francesco Poiana, Ian Brooks, Jodie Wingham, Lesley O’Neill, Lidija Antanasijević, Liz Wilson, Mario Gonzalez, Mita Solanky, Sarah Duncan, Stephen Fowler, Theadora Ballantyne-Way.
The exhibition will showcase a diverse range of printmaking techniques and themes with a rich mix of abstract and figurative work exploring local and global issues. There are intriguing visual narratives around urban and natural landscape in a time of climate change; personal stories and emotional journeys; migration and memory; flights of imagination and even astrophysics.
The Flourish Award celebrates excellence in printmaking through a curated exhibition of around 12-15 artists shortlisted from open submission. We are looking for creativity, skill, originality and innovation in traditional handmade print: from relief print and intaglio to screenprint, lithography and more. The winner of the Award goes on to present their own solo print exhibition in Huddersfield. They will also benefit from a 2-week period of access to the facilities at WYPW. In addition, there are runners-up prizes, including our student/recent graduate award.
The competition is open to established, emerging, and student artist/printmakers, with shortlisting and prizes awarded by an independent panel of judges. With the support of the Golsoncott Foundation this year, we have been able to reduce the submission fee to £5.00. Artists can submit up to 3 works for consideration, and have the chance to be part of an increasingly recognised Award and national exhibiton, which provides a significant development opportunity for the winner as well as exposure for all short listed artists. The winner of last year’s Flourish Award was Lucy May Schofield. The Great Art Award went to Louisa Boyd, and the WYPW student/recent graduate prize was shared by Flora MacLachlan and Lucie McGregor. Flora also won the Hawthorn Printmakers Supplies ‘People’s Choice’ award voted for by visitors to the exhibition.
