STATEOFTHEART GALLERY AWARD 2019 FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

Cape Town based gallery StateoftheART is pleased to announce the 10 artists shortlisted for the second edition of the StateoftheART Gallery Award

After careful consideration of several hundred entries by artists from across South Africa, the judges have shortlisted 10 artists working in a number of mediums including painting, photography, digital art and printmaking. The work of the shortlisted artists will go on show in a special exhibition at StateoftheART’s Cape Town gallery from 27 August to 14 September 2019, and the winner announced at the Award Ceremony on 05 September 2019. The winner will be awarded a R20 000 cash prize and a solo exhibition with the gallery in 2020.

For further details on the Award, to be invited to Award Ceremony or to arrange a viewing, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Shortlisted artists:
Nonkululeko Sibande; Simon Venter; Laurette de Jager; Balekane Legoabe; Natasha Brown; Minenkulu Ngoyi; Larissa Mwanyama; Christelle Viviers; Damian Osborne; Monique Day-Wilde.

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Notes to the editors:
The members of the StateoftheART Gallery Award 2019 jury are Mirjam Asmal, director of the AVA; Chris Denovan, visual artist; Carol Hodes, curator and collector; Jennifer Reynolds, founder of StateoftheART. 

About the Award
StateoftheART launched the inaugural StateoftheART Gallery Award in February 2018, to unearth undiscovered talent by artists from across South Africa and provide a platform for artists to gain industry recognition and boost their career. The 2018 Award winner Jo Roets held her acclaimed  debut solo exhibition ‘Mʌn.tɹə Mãe’ in May this year. 

About StateoftheART
Established in 2010, StateoftheART is a boutique gallery specialising in affordable contemporary art by early and mid career South African artists. The gallery offers an online ‘click-to-buy' service for collectors unable to visit in person. 

For further media information/interview opportunities please contact: Jennifer Reynolds or Andrea Stallbom

Cape Town: StateoftheART is delighted to present a national open call for artists to apply to the 2nd edition of the StateoftheART Gallery Award, a visual arts prize aimed at uncovering emerging South African talent. Entry is open to all artists who are permanently resident in South Africa, aged 18 years and older, and who have not held a solo exhibition with a commercial gallery. The winner of the 2019 StateoftheART Gallery Award  will receive a R20 000 cash prize and a solo exhibition with StateoftheART.  Finalists will participate in a group exhibition at the Cape Town gallery in September this year. 

Entries open online on 01 April 2019, and close at midday on 30 June 2019. The award winner will be announced at the opening ceremony of the Finalists Group Exhibition in September 2019. The Award jury comprises of experts from different spheres of the art world: collector, academic, artist, and gallerist. The jury’s role is to help recognize artists who stand out above the rest, who demonstrate significant potential, interesting ideas, and skillful execution.

“The participation of a knowledgeable jury is of great importance to us in helping to develop the stature and scale of the Award and ensuring we identify and reward the most exciting talent,” says Jennifer Reynolds, owner of StateoftheART.

About the Award

The StateoftheART Gallery Award aims to unearth and promote artists who have yet to establish a profile on the contemporary South African art scene. It provides an opportunity for artists to exhibit their work in a prestigious and highly visible space in the heart of Cape Town, to gain exposure and raise their profile. The Award is open to artists working in one or more of the following media: drawing, printing, painting, photography, digital art and sculpture. There is no participation fee and artists are required to submit three cohesive artworks to the 2019 Award theme 'Cultivating Culture'.

Entry is online only.

For more information and competition rules visit www.stateoftheart-gallery.com/award or contact Andrea Stallbom at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For regular updates on the Award follow StateoftheART Gallery’s social media, including Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter accounts.

About StateoftheART Gallery

StateoftheART is an innovative boutique-style gallery and e-commerce platform representing selected emerging and mid-career visual artists from across South Africa. Established in 2010 and a pioneer in the online art market, StateoftheART offers a carefully curated collection of affordable contemporary art directly to buyers through their 'click-to-buy' service for collectors unable to visit the Cape Town gallery in person.

The gallery hosts an exciting program of exhibitions by up-and-coming local artists. For more information on gallery events visit www.stateoftheart-gallery.com/art-exhibitions.

Important Dates

For artists wishing to enter the competition, the entry deadline is 30 June 2019. Finalists will be announced on the gallery website in August 2019, and the finalists’ exhibition will take place during September 2019. The 2018 winner Jo Roets’ solo exhibition Mʌn.tɹə Mãe (Mantra Mother) will open at StateoftheART Gallery in Cape Town on the 2nd of May 2019.

For Media enquiries please contact: Jennifer Reynolds (gallery owner) on 072 470 9272 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.