Short Description:
The John Ruskin Prize was founded by The Guild of St. George in 2012, under the administrative umbrella of The Big Draw supported by the Trinity Buoy Wharf Trust. Initially attracting conventional painting and drawing, it has evolved to recognising work which, whilst responding to Ruskinian principles, does not necessarily fit into any neatly-defined category, and over the years the prize has honoured painters, printmakers, designers, sculptors, photographers and a wide range of craftspeople.
In his lifetime, Ruskin was primarily famed not as an artist but as a writer, critic, outspoken social commentator and inspiring public lecturer. For him, “The greatest thing a human soul ever does in this world is to see something, and say what it saw in a plain way”. He considered his own drawing and painting – from a geological specimen to an Alpine scene or the architecture of Venice – principally as his route to truly seeing and recording the world or, in the case of the enormous diagrams with which he illustrated his lectures for example, to encouraging others properly to see it and thus to enrich their lives as productive members of society.
The theme PATIENCE IN LOOKING, TRUTH IN MAKING invites a deep exploration of the relationship between the acts of perception and creation and the journey from what we see to what we make. Work submitted to The John Ruskin Prize should thoughtfully engage with and interpret this theme, revealing how our careful observations of the world can be captured in the art we make and the objects we create.
Application Requirements:
Submission for The John Ruskin Prize is made via the completion of an online application portal and should follow all the directions included.
● Up to three digital images of each artwork can be submitted. Images need to be under 5MB and recommended file type is JPEG.
● Make sure you have the dimensions for each submission ready to add into the portal. You will be asked to share the height, width and depth, and the weight.
● Completed forms must be accompanied by entry fee payment made online within the form.
● An email notifying entrants of receipt of entry will be sent when your form has been successfully submitted.
Eligibility:
The John Ruskin Prize is open to artists, designers and makers, both amateur and professional both in the UK and internationally, aged 18 and over. Work in any 2 or 3 dimensional medium is admissible. Submissions must be digital in format as work will be viewed and judged digitally. Please note, international submissions will not need to be shipped for exhibition should the artist prefer.
Program Benefits or Awards:
Four winners will receive prizes totalling £9,500: a 1st Prize of £3,000, The Alan Davidson Under 26 Prize of £1,000, Ruskin Mill Trust Prize of £3,000 and the Chelsea Arts Club Award of £2,500
Entry Fee:
- Standard entry: 1 artwork: £25; 2 artworks: £40; 3 artworks: £50
- Under 26 entry: 1 artwork: £20; 2 artworks: £25; 3 artworks: £38
- International digital entry: 1 artwork; £15: 2 artworks: £20; 3 artworks: £30
Upon entry, your submission(s) will be automatically entered into all relevant categories.
Once an entry has been submitted, no refunds of entry fees, part or whole, will be offered.
If successful, entrants submitting in the Under 26 category will be required to provide a valid ID that displays their date of birth.
Location: United Kingdom
Deadline: Tuesday 2 December 2025 by 5pm
Website link:
