The winners of the inaugural Michael Harding Secret Coast Prize for Fine Art have been announced at Tighnabruaich Gallery in Argyll. Guest artists Henry Kondracki RSA and José Luis Serzo joined a panel of judges for a series of awards that, in the words of the organisers, ‘reflects our belief in opportunity, fairness, and the enduring value of supporting artists not just with recognition, but with real, practical resources.’
The organisers hope the accompanying exhibition will become a much-anticipated annual winter show, where established and emerging artists share the its walls – and where a rural gallery on Scotland’s ‘Secret Coast’ has a central voice in Scotland’s national conversation, in a celebration of honesty, craft, and the breadth of fine art practice across Scotland, the UK and Ireland.
Sponsors and supporters of the open-call Prize include Michael Harding Paints, Tamburrini Art & Framing, and the artists who have championed the Prize from their inception.
Connor Draycott‘s painting Cara won the Early Career category, with Commendations for SUAN by Laura Cullen and Adrift by Mairi Blair.
In the Argyll & Bute category, the winner was Heather Nevay, with Kerry Hyndman‘s In Flight and Laura Finlayson‘s Low Tide Dusking receiving Commendations.
The Michael Harding Secret Coast Prize for Fine Art was won by Tim Sandys for Distribution 18 (pictured at top), while Marion MacPhee’s Humpback Whale VI and Hester Aspland‘s Tuinn received Commendations.
The Awards include a number of Honourable Mentions:
Ross’s Honourable Mentions* were Fraser Lei for the work Refugees and Moira O’Fee for Young Sevillans, which featured on the cover of Artmag’s issue 14th Nov.
Jacqueline Marr’s Honourable Mentions went to Cate Inglis for Boathouse, and to Louise Scott for Help.
Lewis Mackenzie’s Honourable Mentions were Callum Russell‘s piece Meadows Mist, and A I Bell for Always a Way.
Anne MacDonald’s Honourable Mentions were Marc Brodie for his A Saint About to Fall and Zuzanna Salamon for I Hope You Stay
Ewan McClure’s Honourable Mentions were Zhana Fritsch for Standing Tree / Fallen Tree and Ryan McGoverne for And She Was.
*Artist Ross Poole is the founder of The Scottish Contemporary Collective
