The Signature Art Prize | 10th Edition

Founded in 2007, The Signature Art Prize is the only award of its kind that aims to promote the work of artists in the emerging stages of their careers. Drawing attention to the unique perspective of students and recent graduates, the prize champions their signature themes and aims to bring their work into the spotlight.

The Signature Art Prize was established by gallery Directors Isobel Beauchamp and Elinor Olisa in 2007 to celebrate and identify emerging artists’ ‘Signature Style’. They define an artist’s ‘signature style’ as being “that which makes an artist unique; a combination of process and method, contributed to by the artist’s own personality which results in a piece that is unique and specific to them.” With their intuitive knowledge of the contemporary art market, they endeavour to fully capture and develop each individual artist’s ‘brand’.

Drawing attention to the unique perspective of students and recent graduates, the prize champions their signature themes and aims to bring their work into the spotlight. The prize is open to those currently studying an arts-based course at university, and those who have graduated within the last 3 years. Those who visit university degree shows will be aware of the remarkable talent and high standards on show, and the Signature Art Prize aims to capture this energy and assist young artists in exhibiting and promoting their work in an often challenging art world.

This years show will have categories for Painting, Sculpture, Photography & Film, and Drawing & Printmaking. Submissions are reviewed and judged by a panel of esteemed, industry professionals, who then announce their chosen shortlist of 45 pieces and from there a selection of 20 finalists. The 20 finalists' artwork is included in a gala event and gallery exhibition.

In addition, this year sees a partnership with the Aldridge Foundation, a charity that aims to inspire and equip young people from disadvantaged communities with the enterprise and life skills they need to create better academic, work and life pathways and lead rewarding, productive lives. The Aldridge Junior Signature Art Prize has been created to run alongside the main competition and is open exclusively to students studying at the family of Aldridge schools in inner London, the north west and on the south east coast. Categories open to students are Fine Art, Graphics, Textiles, Film and Photography. The finalist students will experience how the exhibition is created and the overall winner of the Junior Prize will be offered an internship with DegreeArt.

We are delighted to be supported by:

Callsign

Callsign is an identity fraud, authorisation & authentication company. We solve challenges that organisations face in getting their users on to and interacting with their digital platforms easily and securely. We provide solutions to some of the world’s largest banks and offer “bank grade” identification to public and private sector clients of all sizes. Callsign’s Intelligence Driven Authentication recognises users by combining deep learning insights - derived across device, location and behavioural data - with personalised and contextual customer journeys. As a result, users can get on with their digital lives whilst businesses improve customer engagement, increase productivity and reduce the risk of fraud.

To learn more about Callsign and how it is helping provide a replicable blueprint for businesses around the globe to intelligently protect against threats in real-time in any region where fraud occurs, visit: https://www.callsign.com/

Zia Hayat, Founder and CEO of Callsign, the organisation sponsoring both the 2019/20

Signature Prize and the Aldridge Junior Signature Prize says:

“As a technology company, of course we value technical skills. But without creativity, expression and inspirational thinking it would be very difficult to create the technologies that improve the way people live and work. That’s why Callsign not only supports young people in gaining work experience around digital identity but, through the sponsorship of the Signature Art Prize and Aldridge Junior Signature Art Prize, encourages recipients to pursue a career in the creative industries.

“We are committed to educating and training young people, especially those from less advantageous backgrounds who may not have the same opportunities readily available. We hope that our sponsorship of the Art Prizes will be a starting point for a fantastic career in art or design for some talented individuals. Having worked with the Aldridge Foundation in the past, we are honoured to be involved in this award and plan to continue to collaborate with the organisation in the future.”

The Bankside Hotel

The Bankside Hotel are a design forward and award-winning hotel, who bring to their guests a rich and immersive art experience. This unique hotel, located in the heart of London's South Bank, has been designed for all those with a passion for culture, art and food. Bankside Hotel are proud of their neighbourhood and intend the building to be a true reflection of the community spirit. Handpicked art is at the core of what we do and this partnership with Bankside provides exciting opportunities for the artists we represent to showcase their work, practice and creative processes connecting with people who live, work and visit the area.

Be Smart About Art

Founder Susan J Mumford personally experienced the need for support to professionals in the art world when she had a gallery in Soho, London. Seemingly no one knew of best practices (dealers and artists alike), and it seemed that everyone attended the school of hard knocks. She saw many people struggle emotionally, personally, physically and financially.

Susan wanted to do something to help people run successful art practices, and spent a lot of time working on a one-on-one basis with professionals in the field. Within just a few short months, she discovered that mentees' art businesses were already benefitting. After trialling the concept of Be Smart About Art for 6 months in 2012, she concluded that the industry was ready to move into a 21st Century landscape, and today's programme was born.

For further information on the Prize, please contact: Jahnai Hall, Signature Art Prize Co-Ordinator jahnai@artellite.co.uk