The prize originated as a concept by Chamber staff who have academic and practical experience within the arts sector. Our ambition is to create a prize which has regional relevance, as well as national and international significance.
In providing this prize, we hope to help support and retain artists within Greater Manchester. As the UK’s largest Chamber of Commerce, the prize will connect artists with businesses, encouraging creative partnerships.
By presenting this prize at our Annual Dinner, which has been running for over 50 years and attended by over 800 representatives from the business community, we want to provide maximum exposure for the artists.
We want to build a legacy, a prize which contemporary artists can be proud to say they have won.
1 Overall Winner to be awarded: £1500 Cash Prize
Supported by Fred Aldous with £150 of vouchers and paper products from G.F.Smith.
A Greater Manchester Contemporary Artist Prize 2019 Award Winner’s artwork displayed in our Exhibition at the Bolton Museum and Art Gallery
Platform Residency: In partnership with The University of Bolton School of the Arts at Platform Studios located in the renovated buildings at Bolton Railway Station. A 3 week residency followed by an exhibition of their work in the Platform Gallery.
3 Runners Up to be awarded: £750 cash prize each
Supported by Fred Aldous with £50 of vouchers and paper products from G.F.Smith.
A Greater Manchester Contemporary Artist Prize 2019 Award Winner’s artwork displayed in our Exhibition at the Bolton Museum and Art Gallery
Fred Aldous’ story began in Manchester in 1886 with a man called Fred. Fred had been working in a cotton mill, like many people in the city at the time, when he noticed that the cotton was being trundled around in baskets. This gave him the idea for a business, to start importing the cane for the baskets from abroad. Fred Aldous Ltd was born out of that idea.
Based in the Northern Quarter, Manchester, Fred Aldous support people who have the urge to pick up a pencil, brush or needle and want to create. That’s why they are constantly developing fresh ideas and coming up with new schemes and that’s why Fred Aldous can provide the right tool or material for whatever project you might be working on.
Website: www.fredaldous.co.uk
In 1885 George founded G . F Smith & Son as a paper merchant. It was his vision and ambition that steered the company through challenging times; his belief in the business saw him expand its horizons. These ambitions include the continued development and global expansion of business adding new chapters to what already stands as a great British success story.
With a distinct identity and a concerted marketing and sales push, the company is seeing growth in exports to new markets including Australia, China, Germany and America. G . F Smith offers paper products, special makes and highly bespoke services tailored specifically to the needs of the creative industries. The specialist team works to a level of craft and customisation and degrees of flexibility that are almost impossible to replicate.
Website: www.gfsmith.com
Shortlisted artists, the runners up and the overall winner will be invited to display their artwork in ‘The Greater Manchester Contemporary Arts Prize Exhibition 2019.’ The exhibition will run from Thursday 6th June 2019 and Friday 5th July 2019, supported by a high profile opening, with attendees from the Greater Manchester business and arts community.
The exhibition will be supported by a handout, detailing the artist’s work, along with an opportunity for artists to sell/promote their work.
The Greater Manchester Contemporary Arts Prize 2019 will be awarded to semi-professional or professional contemporary artists.
Entries will be judged on a range of criteria and not necessarily on the tastes of individual judges. Our main aim is to find contemporary artists who show significant ability, captivating subject matter and emotive messaging
Our Judging Panel reflects an array of knowledge and specialisms, so as a collective will effectively identify the best entries. Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce’s aim in running the prize is to find and build the careers of contemporary artists, encouraging commerce and business connectivity through the sale of artist’s work.
Ghislaine Howard is a painter whose works chart and interpret shared human experience.
Ghislaine Howard is a painter whose works chart and interpret shared human experience. Named as a ‘Woman of the Year’ in 2008 for her contribution to art and society, she has exhibited in many prestigious venues including Manchester Art Gallery, The Whitworth, Imperial War Museum North, Canterbury Cathedral and the British Museum. A monograph relating to her life and work, ‘The Human Touch’ written by her husband, the art historian Michael Howard was published by Manchester Metropolitan University in 2017.
Ghislaine is delighted that the GMCC have asked her to curate a selection of her works throughout the impressive spaces of Elliot House.
Ian Hay is Co-Founder and Director of Saul Hay Gallery
Ian Hay is Co-Founder and Director of Saul Hay Gallery and Saul Hay Fine Art Ltd. Since opening in Castlefield in 2016 Saul Hay Gallery is firmly established as a leading independent art gallery in Manchester supporting a great many local artists.
Saul Hay Fine Art provide art consultancy services to interior designers, architects, property developers and property management companies.
Jo Clements is an artist based in Manchester, UK
Jo Clements is an artist based in Manchester, UK. She has a fine art, practice based PhD, lectures at the University of Salford, and was previously the Educational Director of Artists and Education CIC.
Clements’ work wrestles with common anxieties around incompleteness of knowledge, experience and achievements. Centred on the futile search for certainty of understanding and perceived hierarchies of knowledge, her humorous, reimaginings and reappropriations playfully explore the complex relationship between putative information and experiential understanding through sculpture, film and installation.
General & Legal Counsel at MAN Energy Solutions, Collector of Northern Art
Louise Durose is General Counsel International Diesel for MAN Energy Solutions which has its global headquarters in Augsburg, Germany. Louise is based at the UK headquarters in Stockport. The MAN Diesel & Turbo Group designs and manufactures large diesel engines and turbo machinery.
Louise is responsible for legal services to the aftersales business worldwide which has annual revenue of €1 billion+ and operates in over 50 countries. Louise is a passionate advocator of the arts and maintains a personal collection of Northern Art.
Competition stages are below:
Key dates are below:
Criteria for Artworks & Artists
Greater Manchester Contemporary Artist Prize
Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Elliot House, 151 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 3WD