Soho House Announces the Inaugural Soho House Art Prize With Bombay Sapphire

July 2, 2020 /3BL Media/ - Applications are now open for the inaugural Soho House Art Prize: a new global contemporary art prize to discover, recognise and support artistic talent. Created by Soho House and supported by Bombay Sapphire, the prize winner will receive the funds to realise and present a major solo showcase at Soho Beach House Miami during Art Basel Miami Beach 2020.

Kate Bryan, Soho House Head of Collections has brought together a highly respected international judging panel which includes; Maria Balshaw CBE, Director of Tate and Hebru Brantley, artist and Bombay Sapphire Creator. She says of the award, ‘We are thrilled to be launching the Soho House Art Prize with Bombay Sapphire. ‘I love that we are not judging finished artworks, but rather powerful concepts that we would like to help make a reality. I am so honoured we have such extraordinary, creative minds judging this prize. I am sure that for the artists who enter part of the buzz is going to be the knowledge that an artist like Hebru and one of the world’s most respected museum directors will be looking at their concepts.’

Open to artists from across the world, the Soho House Art Prize invites submissions for a wall-based exhibition within Miami Beach House and an outdoor installation in the grounds to be presented during Art Basel Miami Beach 2020. The winner will receive funds to create the final artworks, all travel and accommodation costs, an EVERY HOUSE Soho House membership, and money-can’t-buy exposure to the judges and other key artworld figures. Kate Bryan says, ‘This prize is about sustained engagement over several months, it’s not simply about the money, we want to make sure we are actively working with the artist to help build something special and create a real platform and legacy.’

Work from the winning artist’s exhibition will also enter the permanent Soho House Art Collection. One of the largest collections of its kind, it consists of over 5000 art works on display in Soho House’s across the globe. An integral part of the of Soho House’s identity, the collection plays a key role in how it engages with the creative community and features work by museum level artists such as Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, Yinka Shonibare CBE, Nan Goldin, Tacita Dean, George Condo, Jenny Holzer and Ed Ruscha, alongside younger and more emerging local talent. Soho House Founder Nick Jones said, ‘Art makes our houses come alive and we value the art communities that are local to our Houses. This prize is designed to take an artist with a great idea on a journey and help them bring their vision to life. I cannot wait to see what they come up with.’

‘Now more than ever, it is important that we provide more advancement opportunities and platforms to nurture great ideas and talented up-and-coming artists.  2020 will be a year forever remembered in history, so it felt right that we launch Soho House Art Prize during such a pivotal moment. I suspect we will have some powerful, affirming and provoking work on display.’ - Kate Bryan

For more information, selection criteria and to submit entries visit https://www.sohohouse.com/projects/soho-house-art-prize

Timeline:

Applications accepted 26 June - 26 July 2020

Winner announced 10 August 2020

Exhibition and installation unveiled at Miami Beach House December 2020

For further information please contact KTW London:

Katy Wickremesinghe katy@ktwlondon.com

Laura Callendar laurac@ktwlondon.com +44 7939 049731

Notes to Editors:

About Soho House

Soho House was founded in Greek Street, London, in 1995, as a private members’ club for those in film, media and the creative industries.  The portfolio has since expanded to include clubs, hotels, restaurants and spas across the UK, Europe, the US and Canada.  Each site is different, maintaining its own personality, but all have a sense of shared DNA as homes from home for members and guests.

About the judges

Maria Balshaw CBE is the Director of Tate, a role she has held since June 2017. Previously she was Director of the Whitworth, University of Manchester and Manchester City Galleries, and during her tenure she oversaw the £17 million transformation of the Whitworth, which was subsequently awarded the Art Fund Museum of the Year award for 2015. She is a Board Member of Arts Council England, the Clore Leadership Programme and Manchester International Festival. Maria was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to the arts in June 2015.

Hebru Brantley is a contemporary American artist best known for his Afro-Futurism approach. Recognised internationally as one of the preeminent Black artists at the forefront of culture, Brantley has developed a cult following for his narrative-driven work which includes collectors such as LeBron James, Jay-Z and Beyoncé, Lenny Kravitz, George Lucas, and Rahm Emanuel, among others. Hebru Branley’s relationship with Bombay Sapphire stretches back to 2011, when the then-emerging artist qualified as a finalist in the Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series which played a role in propelling his work onto the global art scene. In 2020, Hebru Brantley designed the first ever artist-designed limited edition bottle for Bombay Sapphire.

Kate Bryan is an arts broadcaster and Head of Collections for Soho House and Co globally. In 2017 she curated a ground-breaking collection for The Ned London which inverted the gender ratio of the CEO profile of the FTSE 100, acquiring the work of 93 women and 7 men. In June 2019 she published her first book, The Art of Love. She has written and presented television programmes for BBC, Sky Arts and Sky Arte Italia and is a judge on the hit shows, Portrait Artist of the Year and Landscape Artist of The Year. In 2014 she won the Arts category in the Women of the Future Awards and is now a mentor for young women.

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