Liverpool Art Prize: 2014 shortlist announced

Now in its seventh year, the annual Liverpool Art Prize was set up in association with Metal to recognise exciting and inspiring contemporary visual artists. The winner takes home a £2000 prize, and a solo show at the Bluecoat gallery in their Vide space in 2015. There is also a 'People's Choice' award, which provides a £1000 prize – last year, Tabitha Moses took home both prizes for her craft-inspired creations.

This year's shortlist offers some incisive, ground-breaking new art from sculptor and installation-maker Brigitte Jurack, politicised photographer Tabitha Jussa, and painter Jason Thompson. The artists were chosen from a longlist of 53 by judges Pavel Büchler, a Czech-born, UK-based artist, teacher and occasional writer, Francesco Manacorda, Artistic Director of Tate Liverpool, and Simon Poulter, new media artist and Metal’s Associate Curator. All the nominated artists were born or are based in the Liverpool area. An exhibition of their will take place in Liverpool in May and June, culminating in the awards ceremony where the winner will be announced. 

Speaking exclusively to The Skinny, Brigitte Jurack commented on her nomination for the prestigious prize: "I am absolutely delighted. Having made Liverpool my home in 1995 it is a great honour to be shortlisted," she says. "It is a wonderful opportunity to show a new body of work which I am developing right now in my Birkenhead studio to a wide and diverse audience. Addtionally, the shortlisting suggests that the work I have developed in collaboration with young people of Wallasey, and which is situated in Central Park, Liscard is being recognised. For my part, I am looking forward exhibiting with Tabitha and Jason, both really interesting artists, and I think together we will put up a very exciting and thought provoking exhibition." 

Jason Thompson added: "I am very delighted and excited to have been shortlisted. It's a very lovely pat on the back to be included and it's very much appreciated." Meanwhile Tabitha Jussa commented: "It was one thing to be nominated for the Liverpool Art Prize by someone I greatly respect but to be shortlisted as well was a bit of a shock! Having been at the very first prize established by Minako and Ian Jackson, it was something, as an artist, I aspired to be part of. I am very much looking forward to the challenge of producing new works for the exhibition later in the year."

Jenny Porter, Metal's Project Manager and curator of the Liverpool Art Prize, commented: "The Liverpool Art Prize continues to celebrate the talent and creativity of the city and it's always a pleasure to acknowledge the hard work of artists who may not always be known by people who live and work here. We're really excited to be presenting the work of this year's shortlisted artists and we look forward to announcing the winner in June."