FOCUS: Hudgens Center accepting entries for $50,000 Ga. art award

DULUTH, Ga.  |  Jacqueline Casey Hudgens Center for Art and Learning is now accepting entries for the sixth cycle of its prestigious visual arts prize. With a cash award of $50,000 and a solo exhibition for one talented Georgia artist, the Hudgens Prize is one of the largest monetary awards given to an individual artist in the nation. The purpose of the competition is to elevate and promote the arts and artists of Georgia, while providing a transformational opportunity for the winning artist. 

Laura Ballance, The Hudgens’ executive director, says: “As we mark ten years of the Hudgens Prize, having reflected on the impact of this award in our 2021 Hudgens Prize Retrospective, we are beyond thrilled to launch our next Hudgens Prize competition for the 2022-2023 cycle. The Hudgens Prize serves to support and promote Georgia artists, but the real significance of this competition is seen throughout our larger community.

“The arts in Georgia support a growing and thriving creative economy and enriching, quality of life experiences for all. I am inspired by the transformational opportunities the Hudgens Prize provides to artists throughout Georgia, and humbled by the long-lasting impact the Hudgens Prize brings as we better understand the benefits of the arts within our local communities.”  

2015 Hudgens Prize Recipient, Bethany Collins said of her award: “The inseparable impact and value of the Hudgens Prize is in the cash award being paired with a lengthy conversation between finalists and jurors. It’s our conversation unfurling over the long-haul that I hold as so particularly valuable.” 

Kate Driscoll, director of Exhibitions and Public Programs at the Hudgens, adds: “The magnitude of the Hudgens Prize represents our dedication to highlighting and uplifting local artists. The Hudgens Prize is a symbol of the importance we place on our mission of bringing together art lovers, leaders, and learners and supporting gifted Georgia artists in their careers.” 

The Hudgens Prize competition is open to all individual artists, age 18 and up, living as full time residents in the state of Georgia. Visual artwork of any medium will be considered. Works previously exhibited at the Hudgens are ineligible for inclusion in Hudgens Prize Exhibitions. All work must have been completed within the last two years. Entry requires a $30 non-refundable fee, and entitles each artist to submit up to ten examples of their work. 

Competition entries are to be submitted online via digital upload, and will be accepted until March 13, 2022.  Artists may visit the Hudgens’ website to access the application link. 

Four finalists will be decided by early April, 2022 from the online submissions.  In fall of 2022, there will be a competition exhibition with the four finalists.  The winner will be decided based on their work displayed in the competition exhibitions, and studio visits/artist talks.  

The winner will be decided in October of 2022 and will have a solo show in the fall of 2023. 

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