One week left to apply for the Woon Foundation Prize 2016

Student artists have seven days to submit their work for this year’s Woon Foundation Painting and Sculpture Art Prize.

The Woon Foundation Prize, presented jointly by Northumbria University and BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, offers an exceptional opportunity for students currently in the final year of their undergraduate study within the United Kingdom.

The first prize is a year-long £20,000 Fellowship based in the Woon Tai Jee studio located at BALTIC 39 in Newcastle’s city centre. It includes mentoring from staff from both Northumbria and BALTIC and a solo exhibition with catalogue at the end of the Fellowship. There are two runner-up prizes of £9,000 and £6,000 plus a further £5,000 judges’ discretionary award.

Between 10 and 12 artists will be shortlisted from the open submission for an exhibition held in BALTIC’s beautiful, top floor project space at BALTIC 39, with the overall winner going on to a solo exhibition, which concludes the Fellowship, at Northumbria University’s Gallery.

BALTIC and Northumbria, as an important aspect of their partnership activities, host the The Woon Foundation Prize jointly. Now in its fourth year, the Prize is open to all UK undergraduate Fine Art students who are in their final year of study, graduating in summer 2016.

The Prize is fee-free and open submission via woonprize.co.uk and will be selected and judged by a jury includingChristine Borland, Turner Prize-nominated artist and Northumbria’s current BALTIC Professor, Karen MacKinnon, Curator and Director at Artes Mundi, and Laurence Sillars, BALTIC Chief Curator.

Prof Borland said: “The generous nature of this prize is unique in all respects; for the selected Woon Fellow, to receive not only a studio and a one person show with a catalogue, but the support of the community of artists, students, and academics at BALTIC 39 in the heart of Newcastle.

“For the other prize winners, the freedom to spend their prizes however they choose; on travel, materials, or to pay the studio rent, is surely a game changer. Association with the Woon Foundation Prize, and an exhibition at BALTIC 39 will, I'm certain, be a welcome addition on any young artist's CV.”

Sarah Munro, BALTIC Director added: “BALTIC is absolutely delighted and proud to be a key partner in the Woon Foundation Prize. From the remarkable generosity of the prizes to the chance for young artists to have their work seen by an esteemed panel of artists and curators, this is the absolute must-consider prize for undergraduate fine art students in the UK.

“We are proud that BALTIC’s curatorial staff form part of the judging panel each year and the shortlist exhibition is presented in BALTIC’s project space at BALTIC 39. Crucially, the Woon Foundation Prize is one of the continuing ways BALTIC supports talent development of artists in their formative years. We hope it also sees all shortlisted finalists engage in the burgeoning artistic community here in the North East.”

The Woon Foundation very generously funds these major prizes and discretionary consolation prizes each year to the value of £40,000. Wee Teng Woon, one of the Foundation trustees studied law at Northumbria and is also passionate about creating opportunities for final year art students.

To find out more go to: http://baltic39.com/woonprize or http://northumbria.ac.uk/woonprize