Jessica Wilkes Award

Eligibility: Current Acme tenants in occupation of one of our non-residential studios in London.

Next programme: Applications for the next award will be accepted from June 2012. Full details will appear 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 was 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. 

2010 - 2011: Andro Semeiko

The current recipient of the Acme Studios’ Jessica Wilkes Award is Andro Semeiko who has a studio at Acme’s Orsman Road building in Hackney. The award will allow Andro to broaden his practice and allow time in his studio for experimenting.

Andro was selected by a panel consisting of Melissa Appleton (Jessica’s niece), Jane Colling (artist and friend), Jonathan Harvey (Chief Executive, Acme Studios) and Laura Hewison (Jessica’s niece). Jonathan Harvey explains the decision to select Andro:

‘The panel were excited by Andro’s recent work and felt that the award would be hugely beneficial at this point in his career. Andro will be the third artist to benefit from the hard work and generosity of Jessica’s family and friends in establishing this award. ’

2009 - 2010: Stephanie Kingston

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

Stephanie used her award to realise a project based on the former home of her aunt and uncle. The result was 'Sydney Road' an exhibition of paintings, photographs, film and collected memorabilia, as well as an accompanying publication, which was shown at the Acme Project Space in October 2010.

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 focused 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 of his award at the Acme Project Space in June 2009. 'Dance of the Techno Polar Bear' was the inaugural show at the venue in Bethnal Green. More information about the show can be founf in 'Further Reading'.