Since 2006, the Kilgour Prize has encouraged innovation within portrait and figurative painting. In 2019, the prize is now in its ninth year.
The KILGOUR PRIZE 2019 will award $50,000 for the most outstanding work of art, and a People’s Choice of $5,000 to the painting voted most popular by the general public.
Every year the Gallery receives hundreds of applications from artists across every state and territory of Australia. Applications are submitted online using a high quality jpeg of the work. The name of the artist is not revealed to the judges during the selection process for the finalists for exhibition, or for the winner of the prize – making the Kilgour Prize an equitable prize for artists at all career stages.
The KILGOUR PRIZE will be judged in 2019 by Lauretta Morton, Director Newcastle Art Gallery, alongside two guest judges; Jon Cattapan, Artist and Director of the VCA, University of Melbourne and Michael Dagostino, Director Campbelltown Arts Centre.
Jack Noel Kilgour (1900–1987) was an Australian artist well-known for his academic approach to landscape and portrait painting. In 1987 Kilgour bequeathed funds for the creation of a major figurative and portrait art competition to be run in perpetuity at Newcastle Art Gallery. As one of Australia’s major art prizes, The Kilgour Prize continues a long history of benefaction to the Gallery.
The Kilgour Prize is financed by the Jack Noel Kilgour bequest, administered by The Trust Company, Part of Perpetual. For more information about the prize including its history, application form and frequently asked questions, visit the Kilgour Prize page.
