MAKING A MARK: Call for Entries: John Moores Painting Prize 2023

The John Moores Painting Prize is a very prestigious biennial PAINTING competition - with a £25,000 First Prize - plus a £5,000 prize for an emerging artist.

It opened for entries for the 2023 exhibition yesterday.
The Prize is open to all UK-based artists working with paint.
The deadline for an entry is 24 March 2023
All entries are judged anonymously over a two-stage selection process - but I strongly recommend you take a look at the Judges profiles first.
It culminates in an exhibition next year at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool (16 September 2023 to 25 February 2024).

In the absence of all those art competitions which have fallen by the wayside in recent years, this is one art competition that all painters should take very seriously - not least because who has won it previously

Exhibition

The John Moores Painting Prize (JSPP) 2023 Exhibition will be on display at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool from 19 September 2020 - 14 February 2021

Kathryn Maple - who won the JSPP in 2020 - also has an exhibition Under a Hot Sun by Kathryn Maple at the Walker Art Gallery between 11 Feb 2023—30 Apr 2023

About the John Moores Painting Prize

The John Moores Painting Prize has awarded more than £685,000 in prize money across 31 exhibitions, which have showcased more than 2,350 works of art. It presents a rich history of post-war painting in Britain. The first exhibition was held only six years after the Walker Art Gallery re-opened following the Second World War.
Previous winners of the John Moores Painting Prize have included artists such as

1959: Patrick Heron - "Black Painting - Red, Brown and Olive: July 1959
1967: David Hockney - Peter Getting Out of Nick's Pool
1972: Euan Uglow - "Nude, 12 vertical positions from the eye"
1993: Peter Doig - "Blotter"
2014: Rose Wylie - "PV Windows and Floorboards"

See a virtual exhibition of John Moores Painting Prize Exhibition - Winners since 1957

Aims of the JMPP

The competition is named after the sponsor of the prize, Sir John Moores (1896 – 1993). It was originally intended as a one-off, however it's now a biennial event and this will be the 32nd exhibition since its launch in 1957.

The original aims of the John Moores Painting Prize was:
'To give Merseyside the chance to see an exhibition of painting and sculpture embracing the best and most vital work being done today throughout the country'

and
'To encourage contemporary artists, particularly the young and progressive'

Now the aim is
Supporting artists from all over the UK – whether they’re undiscovered, emerging or established in their careers – the prize provides a platform for artists to inspire, disrupt and challenge the British painting art scene today.

Hence the competition aims to support artists who paint with two important dimensions:

all entries are judged anonymously
to bring to Liverpool "the best contemporary painting" from across the UK

and after that it's whatever the members of the jury care to place an emphasis on.

In terms of "anonymous entry and judging" this competition is much more thorough than most. During the Stage 1 Review of the digital images the process is completely anonymous

all artists are allocated a unique entry number
jurors are not given the names of the artists
jurors are only provided with information about the title, size and medium of the painting.

You can read more about the The Judges for the 2023 JMPP at the end of this post.

Prizes

All paintings included in the exhibition are eligible for a prize. The jury will select a final shortlist of five paintings and award the prizes.

The first prize winner will receive £25,000 and a solo display at the Walker Art Gallery in 2025.
A shortlist of four other paintings will also be awarded £2,500.
Plus a NEW £5,000 Lady Grantchester Prize for emerging artists (see below) PLUS

a month-long residency and display space at Elephant West in West London plus local accommodation and a basic allowance if the artist lives outside LondoN; and
£2,500 worth of art materials from Winsor & Newton.
Professional mentoring by Winsor & Newton

The Visitors’ Choice Award (worth £2023) sponsored by Rathbones. - Visitors to the  JMPP 2023 exhibition will be invited to vote for their favourite painting to win the popular

New for the 2023 edition of JMPP, the Emerging Artist Prize has been re-named in honour of the late Lady Grantchester, an avid and loyal supporter of the John Moores Painting Prize, which was created by her father, John Moores in 1957.

The Lady Grantchester Prize is open to recent graduates, who are within two years of graduation, and students who are currently in their final year of a UK-based arts-related course, degree (eg. BA, MA, PhD) or alternative learning programme.

Call for Entries

Summary of information provided by the organisers can be found on

This the Guidelines for Artists page.
This is the Terms and Conditions Page
This is the Registration Page - which very oddly has no reference to or links to other important information about the competition!!
The website - below is very difficult to navigate - as you an get very easily stuck on one page with no exit or backwards link. You MUST use this link to get back to this screen https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/jmpp/john-moores-painting-prize

Above is the short version. Below are the details.

Who can enter?

The last edition of the show had almost 3,000 entries including works by both established and early career artists.

Artists MUST be:

aged 18 years or over on 24 March 2023. There is no maximum age
living or professionally based in the UK or are UK-based (This includes England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands and Isle of Man. It does not include the Republic of Ireland).

In addition:

An artist or collaborative artists may only submit a maximum of one work in total.
Artists can use a pseudonym or exhibiting name, but must use the same name throughout the registration and competition process.
Any artist found to have entered more than one painting using more than one name will be deemed in breach of the Prize’s conditions of entry and will have all their entries disqualified.

Artists can use a pseudonym or exhibiting name, but it must use the same name throughout the registration and competition process.
Which means you can choose whether to use your own name or a pseudonym BUT NOT BOTH! Don't even think about cheating - people always find out and it damages your reputation forever!

What can you enter?

You can submit only one entry per artist. Multiple entries under the same or under different names are not allowed. Artists found to have done this will be deemed in breach of the Prize’s conditions of entry and will have all their entries disqualified.

The painting  MUST be:

a new or recent work, preferably created since 1 January 2023.
wholly or partly executed in any painted medium.
designed to hang on or be fixed to a wall.

must project no more than 0.5m from the wall.
must be no larger overall than 3m x 3.75m x 0.5m when displayed on a wall (even if a diptych or triptych)

the original work of the artist (or artists if a joint or collaborative work). Only one work per artist(s) can be submitted.
the same work at Stage 2 (if shortlisted), as that submitted as an image at Stage 1 and be available for Stage 2 of the competition and, if selected, for the duration of the exhibition itself.

The competition terms and conditions are very precise as to what they mean by "original".

Undertakes that the work submitted is of their own origination, and that they hold all moral and intellectual property rights in that work. For example, if your work is closely based on the work of another artist, you must have obtained all the necessary copyright permissions and credit lines and paid any fees due before entering (registration and payment).
If shortlisted for Stage 2 the painting MUST be

the same work as that submitted as an image at Stage 1
be available for Stage 2 of the competition and, if selected, for the duration of the exhibition itself.
In terms of dimensions the painting MUST be:

When packed for transport, must measure no more than 3m x 3.75m.
When unpacked, must project no more than 0.5m from the wall.
If made up of more than one piece, such as a diptych or triptych, must be no larger overall than 3m x 3.75m x 0.5m when displayed on a wall.

Must continue to be available, including for purchase, from Stage 2 judging to the close of the exhibition otherwise this will invalidate the entry.

How to enter

There are three main stages: Call for Entries, Stage 1 and Stage 2.

This link https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/jmpp/john-moores-painting-prize identifies every page you need to review - including:

Guidelines for Artists (This is the FAQs Page)
Terms and Conditions
Registration

You can only enter the competition online. It does not accept postal entries.

STAGE 1A: Registration and Payment of Fee

Artists must pay the non-refundable entry fee of £30 (inclusive of VAT) and submit their entry no later than 12 noon on Friday 24 March 2023 or the entry will be invalid.

EITHER by registering on the website and paying online by debit/credit card
OR by requesting a registration and payment form from the contact details on the website

The entry fee helps us to finance the John Moores Painting Prize. The competition and exhibition could not go ahead without this contribution. The fees also help to ensure free admission to the exhibition itself.

After registering for an account

you will receive an email with a link.

You will need to click on the link to verify your account.
Once your account has been verified you will be able to start the application process.
You will be able to edit to your entry before submitting until midday Friday 24 March 2023.

A 4-digit entry number is given to you which allows the judging and process to keep all artists anonymous.

STAGE 1B: Submission of Image

The first stage of selection is entirely based on the image submitted.
It is important that the quality of the digital image best reflects the submitted work. The first stage of selection is entirely based on the image submitted.

The image(s) and completed entry form can be submitted online.
You must complete and submit your entry to be received by 12 noon on Friday 24 March 2023 otherwise the entry will be invalid.

if you are unable to submit online then you can submit your image on a CD rom. It must be received BY the deadline.

The digital image should be taken in a well-lit space with a clear background.
Digital images of the submitted work must be JPEGS between 2MB - 5MB in size and a minimum of 1000 x 1000 pixels.

One image showing the complete painting must be submitted (A). An optional second image, showing a detail of the work, may be submitted (B).
The image(s) of the painting must not be manipulated in any way and must be of the painting entered. Substitutes cannot be accepted and will invalidate the entry.

The jury then views and discusses all the entries from the digital image submitted - and shortlists entries

Artists notified if they are through to Stage 2 in the Week commencing 15 May.

Stage 2 - Delivery of shortlisted painting

Three key aspects of the timeline for Stage 2:

FIRST: Artists to deliver works to chosen depot: Thursday 1 until Saturday 3 June.
NEXT: Deadline for stage 2 Artists to complete and submit their bio and personal statement by noon on Friday 16 June
FINALLY: if successful and you are selected for the exhibition you'll be notified by 30th June

The judging process remains anonymous i.e.

Jurors are not given the names of the artists but have access to the following information: title, size and medium.
also in addition and on request, they have access to the artists’ statements about their work (but not their biographical information).

The artist remains the owner and responsible for the painting and accepts that

the images and painting, if shortlisted, are entered at the artist’s own risk.
the artist is responsible for the transportation of the painting to and from one of the six the designated regional depots around the UK if shortlisted. ( They call it a shortlist. I'd call it a long list. The shortlist is for the prizes!)
the artwork will remain in storage from when it is submitted until the start of the exhibition and then on display the close of the exhibition on 25 February 2024.
all paintings entered MUST be available for sale and subject to a COMMERCIAL AGREEMENT. (see the Terms and Conditions for more details)

If selected for the exhibition, agrees to the reproduction of their work or a detail of the work (at no fee) in association with the exhibition, including press, marketing, publicity, merchandise, catalogue and postcards and online (including the website and social media platforms).

If your painting is selected for the exhibition you also agree that the organisers are NOT liable for any loss or damage incurred to the image or painting caused,

either in transit to and from the exhibition,
or during any period of storage (including at the depot), packing or unpacking, installation, or in any period in which the work may be on their premises or in their keeping.

i.e. get yourself commercial art insurance! (See my page about Insurance for Art and Artists)

The Judges

The Jury changes with every exhibition. They are selected and appointed by the John Moores Liverpool Exhibition Trust and National Museums Liverpool.

Very oddly, it's not judged solely by people who are either painters and/or who work with paintings on a very regular basis.

In the past, members have included artists, writers, art critics, broadcasters, curators and musicians.

They Judges in 2023 have a very pronounced bias towards women and diversity. Some may think this is making up for the past. In my opinion, true equality for all occurs when you don't have ANY bias in the Judges or their judgements.

In my view, this Jury might very well deter a lot of artists who are white males.

On the other hand, one could argue that the total anonymity (i.e. you are only known by a number) will help make it fair.
But there again, what you are painting can also be very influential.....

So we'll see....

In the meantime these are the Judges:

Alexis Harding (Painter)

Alex won first prize at the John Moores Painting Prize in 2004. His work emerged as an antagonistic and unruly take on abstract painting in the 1990’s and has developed into a wider practice that explores and celebrates the meeting points between abstraction and representation. One of the most innovative and driven makers of his generation, Harding’s practice has aimed to reinvigorate the possibilities of painting.
His work has been shown nationally and internationally since 1995.
Alexis also teaches in the Fine Art Department of the University of East London where he is MA Fine Art course leader.

Chila Kumari Singh Burman MBE (Multimedia artist)

Born in Bootle to Punjabi-Hindu parents, she was a key figure in the British Black Arts movement in the 1980s.
her radical feminist practice examines representation, gender and cultural identity.
She works across a wide range of mediums including paintings and installations, photography and printmaking, video and film.

Claudette Johnson MBE

b. 1959. a British visual artist. Known for her large-scale drawings of Black women and involvement with the BLK Art Group. She was described by Modern Art Oxford as "one of the most accomplished figurative artists working in Britain today".
Her work is held in numerous public collections, including Tate, British Council Collection, Arts Council Collection, Manchester Art Gallery, Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Rugby Museum and Herbert Art Gallery & Museum.

The White Pube (writers / podcasters)

the collaborative identity of Zarina Muhammad and Gabrielle de la Puente under which they publish reviews and essays on art, games, books, and the wider cultural industries.
they have gained an international readership and an involved social media following through their work in embodied criticism and institutional critique.
Gabrielle is from and based in Liverpool, and Zarina is from and based in London. Together, they run a Successful Funding Application Library, a monthly grant for working class creatives, and a podcast all from the comfort of thewhitepube.com.
(Note: I think the name is a pun on a well known art gallery - run by a man!)

Back in 2015, during our final year of art school, we had a chat about exhibition reviews and how they were either boring, lifeless, overly academic, or too polite. And they are basically all written by middle class white men and that’s just silly at this point. We decided to start writing ourselves and actually state how art made us feel (happy, bored, angry, in love). We tried to write in a way like we were falling through our feelings and simply writing about art along the way. Over the years, we attracted a big readership and started to visit universities to meet students who were basically our age. About the White Pube

Yu Hong (Painter)

a Chinese contemporary artist. Studied oil painting at the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) in Beijing, Graduated with a post-graduate degree from the oil painting department in 1996.
Her works characteristically portray the female perspectives in all stages of life and the relationship between the individual and the rapid social changes taking place in China.
She works primarily in oil paint but also in pastels, fabric dye on canvas, silk and resin

REFERENCE

My previous Blog Posts about the John Moores Painting Prize which includes images of artwork which did well.

2020

2018

2016

John Moores Painting Prize 2016 - shortlist announced

2012

2010

MAKING A MARK

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Tuesday, February 14, 2023

Call for Entries: John Moores Painting Prize 2023