PROSPECTUS
“His object was to counterfeit the soul – to throw the intelligence of expression into the face of the picture – to catch the thoughts… the disposition, and with such elegant touches, that at a glance his copy is sufficient to afford an understanding of the mind of the original.”
John Nagle, student of Gilbert Stuart, 1828
This is the inaugural call for entries for the Gilbert Stuart Portraiture Prize. The prize will include an annual, juried exhibition designed to highlight the best new and emerging work in contemporary portraiture. The 2025 exhibition will be held at the Gilbert Stuart Museum’s Bell Art Gallery from April 27 – June 1.
The Gilbert Stuart Birthplace and Museum works to preserve and promote the legacy of America’s foremost portraitist. Part of that legacy is a distinctly American portraiture tradition, one which persists both within the tradition of formal portraiture, as well as less traditional figurative and non-figurative art focused on human subjects. Stuart’s distinct gift was his ability to reach beyond the surface and capture something of his innate human subject. This exhibition seeks examples of artwork in any medium that continues this tradition of conveying the depth of experience and identity within its subject.
Gilbert Stuart; John Randolph, 1804/1805
National Gallery of Art; Andrew W. Mellon Collection
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
-For the Inaugural year in 2025, entries will only be open to students of North Kingstown High School, aged 14 and older.
-All entries must be original and completed solely by the artist’s hand; A.I. or other computer-generated art will not be considered. Photographs, digital art, prints in multiple and other mechanical media are acceptable as long as the work at each stage is completed by the artist.
-All entries must have been completed within the last 15 months – since January of the previous year.
-Each artist may enter up to three (3) works of art for consideration.
-For 2D entries the longest side of the completed work should not be larger than 72” (including frame)
-For 3D the completed piece should weigh no more than 50 pounds and be under 6’
-All entries must be submitted using the entry form below.
-Up to five (5) images of the selected work may be submitted. Images must be JPEG or TIFF files less than 10MB in size, with the recommended longest pixel dimension between 1600 and 3000 pixels.
-All artists are asked to provide a brief artist statement (200 words).
-Images submitted for judgment must correspond to the work to be displayed.
COMPETITION
-All entries submitted by April 11 that follow the entry requirements will be considered for the competition.
-Initial selection for the exhibition will be determined by a jury. Those selected will be informed by email and invited to bring their piece to the Gilbert Stuart Museum for display. For more information see the Exhibition Guidelines.
-Images of accepted works may be used at the sole discretion of the Gilbert Stuart Birthplace and Museum for promotional purposes including but not limited to the invitation, catalog, website, or on a subsequent year’s prospectus. Image will include attribution whenever possible.
-Work cannot be withdrawn before the end of the event.
-Prizes will be selected by a jury, on site, after viewing the original artwork within the gallery.
PRIZE
Grand Prize: $500
Awards: $100
LIABILITY
Gilbert Stuart Museum shall not be liable for any special or consequential damages that result from the use of, or inability to use, the Bell exhibition gallery.