The Dobell Drawing Prize is a biennial drawing prize and exhibition, held by the National Art School in association with the Sir William Dobell Art Foundation.The prize is an open call to all artists and aims to explore the enduring importance of drawing and the breadth and dynamism of contemporary approaches to drawing.
The Dobell Drawing Prize is one of the highest value prizes for drawing in Australia. The prize had previously been held in conjunction with the Archibald Prize, Sulman Prize, and Wynne Prize at the Art Gallery of NSW. The Dobell Drawing Prize, now held at the National Art School, runs in alternative years to the Dobell Australian Drawing Biennial at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
The prize was initiated by the Trustees of the Sir William Dobell Art Foundation. [1] In 2003, the prize money was $20,000. This was increased to $25,000 in 2009 and increased again to $30,000 (AUD) in 2019 when the Prize was relocated to The National Art School.
The exhibition showcases the finalists’ artworks across a broad range of media that acknowledges the foundational principles of drawing, while also encouraging challenging and expansive approaches to drawing.
The new Dobell Drawing Prize is an acquisitive art award that runs in alternative years to the Dobell Australian Drawing Biennial at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, affirming the Dobell Foundation’s commitment to continuing the development of drawing as a medium in its own right, and a fundamental element of the visual arts.
The Sir William Dobell Art Foundation was formed in 1971 according to instructions in the artist’s will which stated that “a Foundation be established for the benefit and promotion of art in NSW”. Funds for the Foundation were raised through the sale of property and art works in William Dobell’s estate.
An initial sum of approximately $260,000 was invested and since its establishment the Foundation has contributed in excess of $6 million dollars towards activities in many areas of the arts.
The first public venture of the Foundation was to commission John Olsen to design a large mural for the harbour-side Northern Foyer of the newly opened Sydney Opera House. The mural, which was based on the poem “Five Bells” by Kenneth Slessor, has become a much loved landmark over the past forty years.
Other major contributions include:
The Dobell Prize is an acquisitive award, with the gallery keeping past winners in the permanent collection. There were 685 entrants in the first year of the prize, in 1993, of which only 34 were exhibited, and there were similar numbers in following years. [2]
At the presentation of the 2012 Dobell Drawing Prize it was announced the prize would close as an open entry drawing prize, to be replaced by a curated biennial drawing show/award to be named the Dobell Australian Drawing Biennial
The Dobell Trustees occasionally buy some of the works which have not won the main prize but have been exhibited, or they acquire them for other reasons, such as:
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