Vivien Leigh Prize - call for submissions

A prize (£400) is offered by the Ashmolean Museum from the Vivien Leigh Fund for a two-dimensional work of art on paper, not exceeding 55 by 40 centimetres, by an undergraduate or Masters programme student of the University. It is a condition of the award that the winning work be given to the Ashmolean.

The winner is selected, if a piece of sufficient merit is entered, by the Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art in the Ashmolean Museum from work submitted to the Ruskin or included in the BFA or MFA Finals Examinations at the Ruskin School of Art.  The Curator may choose to interview shortlisted candidates in week 10 (after 30 June), before announcing the winner.

In 2020, due to the Covid-19 public health crisis and the move online of all teaching and assessments, we will accept digital submissions - a single Jpg file of the work, accompanied by a submission form.

BFA and MFA students at the Ruskin can submit a work by uploading it to the 'Vivien Leigh' folder in the 'Files' of the School's 'Teams - RSA All School - Prizes' platform. Non-Fine Art undergraduate and Master's members of the University should email info@rsa.ox.ac.uk for information about how to submit a work for consideration.

Deadline: 12 noon BST, Monday 15 June

 

---

 

Kevin Slingsby Prize for Funnel Vision - winner 2020, Josi McGuffin (BFA3: The Queen's College)

Image: Josi McGuffin: [DEEP FAT FRIER] for [TEMPURA-BATTERED SPEAKER HORN], from cancelled performance: A Croaks Grappling Hook, 2020. Excepts distributed via: www.watchingyouwithout.me

 

The Kevin Slingsby Prize for Funnel Vision is open to all undergraduates at the Ruskin School of Art for work in any media. The prize was established in 2006 to celebrate the life and work of Kevin Slingsby, who taught at the Ruskin for 21 years and had a profound effect on the hundreds of students he worked with. The judges look for creative and original thinking and the prize is awarded on those grounds, rather than for a specific piece of work and regardless of media.

In 2020, the judges were Holly Slingsby, Daria Martin and Ruskin Alumnus Mike Cooter (BFA 2000). Of the 24 submissions, six Ruskin artists were shortlisted:

• Toni Busattil( BFA3)
• Zoe Harding (BFA2)
• Mihaela (Ela) Man (BFA3)
• Josi McGuffin (BFA3)
• Sophie Nathan-King BFA3)
• Sophia Wee (BFA3)

After interviewing all six students, the judges announced BFA Finalist Josi McGuffin as the winner of the prize of £500.

 

---

 

Egerton Coghill Landscape Prize - winner 2020, Tegan O'Hara (BFA3: Christ Church)

Image: Tegan O'Hara: Painting, to be installed under a tree (2020); canvas, wall paint, A4.

 

The Ruskin's annual Egerton Coghill Landscape Prize (with a value of £350) is awarded for a work (of modest scale) with a landscape theme or allusion modest, completed in the previous 12 months by a member of the University who is at that date reading for any degree, diploma, or certificate of the University.

In 2020, we received 22 submissions, which were judged by the Ruskin's Head of School, Anthony Gardner, who commented that they were all "such assured and interesting work and (made) me so happy and proud to be engaged with what [our students] do."

BFA Finalist Tegan O'Hara was announced the winner for her work Painting to be installed under a tree. Anthony remarked that he was particularly struck by the winning piece’s response to the theme of the prize in the context of lockdown.

Anthony also highly commended the submissions by: 

• Daf Alexander (BFA3)
• Vasileia Anaxagorou (MFA)
• Georgia Arben Crowther (BFA3)
• Liz Davies (BFA1)
• Rowan Ireland (BFA2)
• Audrey Lee (BFA3)
• Ela Man (BFA3)
• Harrison Taylor (BFA2)

Many thanks and congratulations to all the candidates, runners-up and winners, and good luck to those forthcoming applicants.