Philanthropy Prize for Women Artists
29 July 2014 at 11:53 am
Entries have opened for one of Australia’s prestigious philanthropic portraiture prizes for women, the Portia Geach Memorial Award.
The Portia Geach Memorial Award is managed by The Trust Company, part of Perpetual. It was established in 1961 by Florence Kate Geach in memory of her sister, artist Portia Geach and now offers annual prize money of $30,000.
The award is presented to an Australian female artist for the best portrait painted from life of a man or woman distinguished in art, letters or the sciences.
Perpetual’s General Manager of Philanthropy Andrew Thomas said philanthropic support has a considerable impact on the arts community.
“Privately funded awards such as the Portia Geach Memorial Award provide valuable support for Australian female arts and as trustee, Perpetual is proud to be part of these efforts to help talented artists pursue their passions,” Thomas said.
“Since the award’s inception 49 years ago, the Portia Geach Trust has grown from £12,000 to more than $900,000 and during this time we are proud to have grown the prize money to ensure Portia Geach’s legacy continues to make an impact on the arts community.”
In 2013, the prize money was increased from $18,000 to $30,000. The 2013 Portia Geach award was won by Queensland-based artist Hélène Grove for her self portrait entitled Self Portrait Getting On.
Applications for the 2014 award will close on 8 September with Perpetual announcing the shortlist of finalists in October.
The winner of the 2014 Portia Geach Memorial Award will be revealed on 6 November 2014 with an exhibition of all finalists open for public viewing at the S.H. Ervin Gallery, The Rocks.
For more information on the award, go to http://thetrustcompany.com.au/awards/portia-geach-memorial-award/
