AN OPEN LETTER FROM THE FOUNDER

Dear artists, finalists, winners, and art lovers,

I am thrilled to announce that the 2024 competition will commence on Friday, 1 March 2024.

Reflecting on our swift success, I acknowledge the art prize, initiated in 2021, has surpassed my initial expectations. What began as a modest competition swiftly evolved into a nationally acclaimed art prize.

In just three years, amid the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, we garnered thousands of entries, witnessed 1.8 million website visits, engaged over 140,000 voters for the People’s Choice Award, and reached over 3.3 million individuals nationwide through social media. Our public exhibitions attracted more than 15,000 visitors who viewed and critiqued the finalist artworks, resulting in local, national, and international sales. The Prize received recognition across international, national, regional, and local media platforms in print, online, TV, and radio.

I attribute much of NCAP’s success to you—for participating, voting, and believing in our capacity to achieve something extraordinary for Australian artists.

With this in mind, I have decided to rename the Art Prize to the National Contemporary Art Prize. While we will still refer to it as NCAP, this change aligns the competition’s name more closely with the art it represents rather than its city of origin.

NCAP celebrates Australia’s vast capacity for diverse and remarkable artistic expression, showcasing how our artists blend traditional and contemporary mediums to create innovative artworks.

We will continue to encourage artists to produce work that reflects today’s social, cultural, and historical context—ranging from personal to political. We welcome concepts that resonate, transmit, influence, and comment on Australian society and our aspirations for a sustainable future.

No other aspects have changed; the categories remain consistent, the familiar faces are still here, and we urge previous winners, finalists, and emerging artists to participate in the 2024 National Contemporary Art Prize.

With kind regards,

Robert Stephens