the churchie national emerging art prize 2015 has received record entries with 398 artists submitting over 900 artworks. Emerging artists from across Australia have entered works from a range of disciplines including painting, sculpture, installation, film, and new media. Now in its twenty eighth year, the prize launched a new website and social media campaign to encourage emerging artists to enter the prestigious prize. ‘the churchie’ has attracted an immense amount of attention and continues to grow its profile as a leading national emerging art prize.

The entries will now be reviewed by a pre-selection panel of judges and the finalists’ announced in early June. This year the finalists will be judged by Rachel Kent, Chief Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA) in Sydney. Rachel has presented exhibitions in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the USA and Canada. She speaks and publishes widely on contemporary art and curatorial practice and will be a tremendous asset to this year’s judging process.

All finalists’ entries will feature in a month-long exhibition at Griffith University Art Gallery (GUAG) from 31 July to 29 August. The winners will be announced at the Official Opening + Prize Announcement reception that evening between 6-8 pm.  The overall winner will receive a cash prize of $15,000, donated by the prize money sponsor, Brand+Slater Architects.

Image: Svetlana Bailey, Untitled 2 (detail), 2014, digital c-type print, 120 x 150cm. Courtesy the artist.