The 2 Danks Street Award for Art Criticism raises the bar

After its inaugural establishment last year, the 2 Danks Street Award for Art Criticism is once again open to entrants.

In the fast-paced media world of print, publishing and digital media, the award sets the formidable challenge of unearthing intelligent and fresh art writing.

In conjunction with Artist Profile and Art for all/All for Art, the galleries of 2 Danks Street established the award to recognize and encourage new talent in arts writing.

Last year’s winner Luise Guest acknowledged the importance of raising the profile of arts criticism in Australia.  “In a crowded information world, visual arts writing not only has to jostle for space, but sufficient space for explaining the context and  reasoned argument”, she said.  “Arts writers know how very hard this is.”

In 2014, the main award of $1,000, along with the opportunity to publish a review in Art Almanac, will again be offered.  This is the only award of its kind in Australia.

Expanding on the award’s success, Artist Profile introduces a new category, an alternative prize of $500 for a review which shows flair and stretches the boundaries of current reviewing, either in style, form or media.

Owen Craven, editor of Artist Profile and Art Almanac said that the overall quality of entries in 2014 was high.   “But last year’s panel recognized that particularly young writers needed encouragement to move outside the box”, he said.  “The alternative award is looking for approaches to arts criticism that are fresh. Something that will make existing and new audiences sit up and really take notice.”

This year’s judging panel again includes Prue Gibson arts writer, and Owen Craven, as well as two new panelists Dr Andrew Frost, creator of The Art Life and Laura Fisher.

The 2 Danks Street Award for Art Criticism will be open to anyone, either a current or new writer, for a review of an exhibition run by one of the permanent galleries of 2 Danks Street from 12 July to 4 October 2014.

For further information, contact Janet Clayton at Janet Clayton Gallery on 02 96988443 or janetclayton@me.com

2 Danks Street