The Henry Jones Art Prize exhibition is set to open in Hobart next week, featuring works from 58 emerging Tasmanian painters and mixed media artists that have been named finalists in the annual award.
Running between 22 November – 4 December, guests of and visitors to The Henry Jones Art Hotel can peruse and purchase works from rising contemporary painters and mixed media artists, including Esther Touber, Sophie Witter and Alexander Beech.
It’s the first time in the prize’s history that two categories of art are being judged, with its benefactor, The Henry Jones Art Hotel, now offering two $20,000 awards for both traditional painting and mixed media forms (the winners of which will be named at a ceremony on 22nd November, with their works also displayed in the exhibition).
For Tina Zucco, Art Curator at The Henry Jones Art Hotel, the prize is not only a platform for new artists to launch and develop their careers but also an opportunity to discover and support new and upcoming Tasmanian artists.
“The Henry Jones Art Prize also is a remarkable way to buy art. The artist sets the price of their work, usually between $800 – $8,000, and 75 per cent of the proceeds from each sale go back to the artist. It’s an encouragement and appreciation of their work and an incentive to help them establish their career,” says Ms Zucco.
“It’s a win-win -situation: each sale brings validation to the artist, and the buyer has a unique artwork for their home. Plus, we never know where the artist’s career will go. Several of our past winners and finalists have gone on to become full-time artists and exhibit their works in prestigious galleries around Australia, including the National Portrait Gallery, Flinders Lane Gallery and most local galleries.”
The Henry Jones Art Prize is one of the few prizes available in Tasmania for emerging artists and is the only prize of its calibre and financial offering that focuses solely on emerging Tasmanian artists – a much-needed boost considering the state is home to a thriving arts sector and its capital, Hobart, has been previously named by the Regional Australia Institute as one of the top creative spots in regional Australia.
The exhibition welcomes thousands of patrons each year and is free to visit. In addition to viewing and buying works, attendees are invited to vote for People’s Choice award, with the artist of the most popular work receiving a $1,000 voucher. In 2022, 50% of the artworks displayed sold, representing over $50,000 in revenue back to the artists. (For interstate and international buyers, The Henry Jones Art Hotel can help organise freight.)
The prize was established in 2018 as part of The Henry Jones Art Hotel’s dedication to supporting independent and emerging artists. Australia’s first art hotel and a living, breathing art gallery, The Henry Jones Art Hotel also hosts regular exhibitions, runs daily Art and History tours, operates an artist-in-residence program and is the primary sponsor of The John Glover Art Prize, Australia’s most prestigious landscape art prize.
For more information on The Henry Jones Art Prize, visit thehenryjones.com/henryjonesartprize.
For more information on The Henry Jones Art Hotel, visit thehenryjones.com.
