Southern Artists Can Apply for the $10,000 1858 Prize and Yearlong Feature at the Gibbes Museum of Art
Apply now for the 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art—$10,000 cash and a yearlong presentation of their work at the Gibbes Museum await the winning Southern artist.
The Gibbes Museum of Art is now accepting applications for the 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art, and it’s not just another award—it’s a recognition with teeth.
Artists working in any medium who are from, based in, or working in the American South—Alabama through West Virginia—are eligible for a $10,000 cash prize and a yearlong presentation of a single artwork at the Gibbes’ Mary Jackson Modern and Contemporary Galleries, beginning February 2026.
This isn’t just local acclaim. Past winners have leapt from this platform to Guggenheims, Pollock-Krasners, and spots in the Met and the National Gallery. This is one of the South’s most serious nods for serious contemporary artists.
The application window slams shut on September 7, 2025. You apply online. No entry fee. No gimmicks. Just the kind of work that redefines what it means to be a Southern artist now.
If your art pushes the region’s story forward—submit. The world is watching.
ART Walkway News
Correction (Aug 12, 2025): An earlier version of this article misstated that the 1858 Prize includes a yearlong exhibition of the winner’s work. In fact, the prize includes the yearlong presentation of a single artwork by the winning artist at the Gibbes Museum of Art.
