The national competition, now into its 12th year, was founded and generously donated by arts patron Chris Parkin since 2012, after he discovered the New Zealand art world was missing a reasonably substantial drawing award.

A major cash prize of $25,000 and national recognition is on the cards for the winning entry. From approximately 500 entries, a portfolio of around 80 works is chosen by a judging panel for the annual exhibition. In addition to the premier prize of $25,000, another 10 highly commended prizes of $500.00 are awarded.

Anyone can apply to enter this anonymously selected contest as long as the artist is a New Zealand resident or citizen.

Entry forms and further information are available on www.parkinprize.nz. Entries close at 4pm on 31 May 2024 and the winner will be announced on Monday 5 August 2024 to coincide with a public exhibition showcasing all finalists’ works to be held at the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts in Wellington from 6 August to 1 September 2024.

Previous winners include Monique Jansen (2013) with AO Folded Moire Drawing; Douglas Stichbury (2014) with Observer, Gabrielle Amodeo (2015) with The Floor We Walk On, Hannah Beehre’s Catastrophe(2016), Kirsty Lillico’s carpet installation State Block (2017), Jacqui Colley for Long Echo (2018), Michael Dell’s Every Valley (2019), Poppy Lekner’s Forward Slash (2020), Mark Braunias’ work ‘In search of the Saccharine Underground’ (2021), Siân Stephens ‘Liam Cutting His Hair After An All-nighter’, (2022) and last year’s recipient Connah Podmore for Street light (the room where your brother was born).

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