1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art

Prize Overview

The Gibbes Museum and Society 1858's Prize for Contemporary Southern Art is awarded to an artist whose work contributes to a new understanding of art in the South. Presented annually, the Prize recognizes the highest level of artistic achievement and welcomes applications from artist working across any media. Artists from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia are encouraged and eligible to apply. Previous winners have subsequently received awards from the Joan Mitchell Fellowship, the Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, and the Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant. Additionally, winning artists' work has been received into the permanent collections of The National Gallery of Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Gibbes Museum of Art. The extraordinary multi-disciplinary artist, Sherrill Roland, was the recipient of the 2023 Prize, receiving a cash award of $10,000 and whose work is now on exhibit at the Gibbes Museum until 2025.

In addition to the monetary award, artwork will be chosen by the Gibbes Curatorial Team, in collaboration with the artist, for display in the Mary Jackson Modern and Contemporary Galleries for the duration of the year following the winner’s announcement. Applications are accepted exclusively through this website.

Download Rules    Apply Now

Society 1858

The 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art is presented by Society 1858, a member auxiliary group of the Gibbes Museum of Art. This group of dynamic young professionals supports the Gibbes Museum with social and educational programs tailored for up-and-coming art patrons. To learn more about membership in Society 1858, please click here.

Contact Information

For general questions about the 1858 prize, please contact Jordan Sprueill, Associate Curator of Contemporary Initiatives and Visiting Artists at [email protected].