Announcing – 2016 New Art Writing Challenge finalists and top prize winners!

Now in its second year,the New Art Writing Challenge is a democratic, come-one-come-all event aimed at encouraging dialog and writing about the arts in Philadelphia. Artblog and The St. Claire believe in writing and in discussion about the arts. In addition to the art writing contest we hold a public discussion about art writing, this year’s attended by close to 40 people.

We’re not handing out gold stars or laurel wreaths in this Challenge, but we do believe in the value of prizes to reward excellence. Prizes for excellence encourage and support writers in the community and by extension, the arts in Philadelphia. Publication of the writers’ works brings new voices to the public realm, spreads the arts to a wider audience and can be a springboard to writing opportunities for winners.

This year’s New Art Writing Challenge had 36 submissions on a wide-range of topics from Philadelphia’s new Mormon Temple to exhibitions and events at the ICA, PMA and Philadelphia galleries. We had essays, reviews and fiction, including submissions from two young people, one a high school student and the other an elementary school student! We are encouraged by the response and enthusiasm!

A Big Thank You to everyone who submitted, and a huge thanks to the Jurors — Paddy Johnson, Cara Ober and Meredith Sellers, amazing arts writers, all. Articles by the prize winners and finalists will be published in November on Artblog and The St. Claire.

2016 New Art Writing Challenge Winners

• Grand Prize Winner
  Heather Holmes – Channelizer
• Category Prize Winner (500 words+Under)
  Lily Kind – Nora Chipaumire’s “Portrait of myself as my father”
• Category Prize Winner (1000 words +Under)
  Martha Swift – Stranger Fictions (Rodney MacMillian: The Black Show)
• Honorable Mention (500 words+Under)
  Bridget A. Purcell – Paper Louise Tiny Fishman Rock
  Nishat Tashnim – Crumpling Skins (Janine Antoni’s “Paper Dance”)
  Janyce Denise Glasper – Rest But Don’t Forget to Weep (The Colored Girls Museum)
  Alex Conner and Eric Preisendanz – The Mischievous Guide, A review of The Quiet Circus: River Charrette #1 by Eiko Otake
• Honorable Mention (1000 words+Under)
  Justin Walker – A Mormon Temple Review
  Elizabeth Loux – Let’s get together yeah yeah yeah
  Seth Farnack – Essay
  Sam Whalen – The Sun is Just the Place Where the Sun Used to Be
  Robert Winston – The waves