Judging Panel Announced for 2020 Gallery Award

6 Mar 2020

StateoftheART is delighted to announce the panel of judges for the StateoftheART Gallery Award 2020. This year’s judging panel are Strijdom van der Merwe, Lucinda Jolly, Nadja Daehnke and founder of the Award, Jennifer Reynolds. The closing date for entries is 30 June 2020 and the winner will be announced at an event to be held at StateoftheART Gallery in September 2020.

Now in its third year, The Award operates as a not-for-profit initiative of the StateoftheART Gallery, and is recognized as an exciting competition that is innovative in its concept - with a goal to promote artists who have yet to establish a profile on the contemporary South African art scene. The winning artist receives a monetary prize of R20 000 and a solo exhibition with the gallery. Entries must be submitted online at www.stateoftheart-gallery.com/award between 01 April and 30 June 2020. The first round of adjudication will take place from 31 May, and the second round from 29 July to 2 August.

“It is significant that this year the panel consists of recognised industry professionals whose work closely aligns with the Award 2020 theme, On The Brink: Visualising Climate Change. We are asking entrants to engage with the reality of climate crisis and create work to inspire and encourage societal change within their community - and within the broader South African context.” - Jennifer Reynolds

Strijdom van der Merwe is an award-winning South African land artist who uses materials he finds on site to create his artworks. His materials include sand, water, wood, rocks and stone. By shaping these elements into geometric forms he juxtaposes the contrast between artwork and environment, growth and destruction. Strijdom studied art at the University of Stellenbosch, after which he obtained various other qualifications in the same discipline, as well as architecture. The artist was the recipient of the Jackson Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant in 2007, and received the Medal of Honour from the South African Academy of Arts and Science. Exhibitions and commissions on invitation have been done in South Korea, Turkey, Belgium, France, Sweden, Lithuania, Japan, Australia, and Italy and his work is frequently exhibited in galleries throughout South Africa.

Nadja Daehnke completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree cum laude at the University of Cape Town, followed by Masters in Fine Art (1998) and Masters in History of Art (2009) degrees, both with distinction. Nadja has exhibited nationally and internationally and has lectured at various tertiary institutions in both theory and practical subjects. Nadja worked at the Iziko South African National Gallery as Curator for Contemporary Painting and Sculpture, held the post of curator of the Michaelis Galleries, University of Cape Town, from 2010 to early-2013 and, alongside working as independent artist, curator and art project manager, was part-time project manager for the University of Cape Town art collection in 2018/ 2019. In 2020 Nadja continues this portfolio, but additionally heads the Irma Stern Museum.

Lucinda Jolly is a graduate in fine art from the University of Cape Town where she majored in print making. Currently she heads up a brand new digital media department at a private film and media college where she also lectures art history to a various departments. Lucinda also freelances as an arts writer for various publications including Business Day and the Mail and Guardian and has her own cultural slot on Fine Music Radio.

Jennifer Reynolds is the owner of StateoftheART Gallery. Established in 2010 and a pioneer in the online art market in South Africa, StateoftheART re-imagines the brick-and-mortar art gallery experience for the digital age, and differentiates itself through full transparency and accessibility.