Jessica Wilkes Award

Eligibility: Current Acme tenants only.

Next programme (2010-2011): Applications will be accepted from October 2010. Full application details will be available on this website.

Information

This major professional development opportunity is the result of a legacy from the artist Jessica Wilkes who died in November 2005 at the age of 56. The award has been established by Acme, and Jessica’s family and friends to celebrate her life.

The annual award provides an artist with a free studio and grant to enable them to devote more of their time to their studio practice. The award, worth £10,000, is made to an artist selected from applications from current Acme studio tenants.

The Jessica Wilkes Award is currently funded for three years. If you would like to help to support artists through this award, please see the newsletter in 'Further Reading' for details of how to make a donation. 

2009 - 2010: Stephanie Kingston

The second recipient of the Jessica Wilkes Award is Stephanie Kingston, a painter based at the Galleria in Southwark. The award coincides with a change in Stephanie’s professional circumstances which means for the first time in years she will be able to dedicate a significant amount of time to her work.

One of Stephanie’s paintings recently featured in the John Moores 25 exhibition and she plans to use her award time to create a body of work around the theme of memory.

2008 - 2009: Howard Dyke

A panel, consisting of Joanna Hewison (Jessica’s sister), Jock McFadyen (artist and close friend of Jessica’s) and Jonathan Harvey, Co-Director, Acme Studios, selected Howard Dyke following studio visits to eight artists short-listed from a total of 40 applications.

The panel felt that the timing of the award was particularly important for Howard. Spending as many hours as possible in his studio to pursue his painting in a more focussed way and reducing paid work to an absolute minimum, paid exciting dividends for Howard. Without the award he would not have been able to sustain this intense and productive period of activity and soon financial pressures would have forced him back again into more regular employment.

Howard exhibited the work he created during the year he held the award at the Acme Project Space in June 2009. 'Dance of the Techno Polar Bear' was the inaugural show at the new venue in Bethnal Green. More information about the show can be founf in 'Further Reading'.