OVERVIEW
In celebration of its 25th anniversary in 1997, Contemporary Craft established a $5,000 prize for excellence in the field of contemporary craft.
This triennial award, which is given in conjunction with a catalogue, video profile and juried exhibition, is funded by the daughters of Elizabeth R. Raphael, the founder of Contemporary Craft and a nationally known figure in the contemporary art scene for many decades. Prizes are selected by medium, with the designated medium changing with each award.
Past winners and winning artworks include Sibylle Peretti, Vogelkuss-Birdkiss II (glass), 1997; David Sengel, Haloed (wood), 1999; Suzan Rezac, Opus Tessellatum (small metals), 2001; SunKoo Yuh, The Memory of Pikesville, TN (clay), 2003; Jim Rose, Quilt Cupboard (found materials), 2005; Mark Zirpel, Pair (glass), 2007; Christian Burchard, Days of Summer by the Pond (wood), 2009; Meghan Patrice Riley, Interstitial (small metals), 2011; Linda Swanson, Cypreus Lumen (clay), 2013, Melissa Cameron, 1.1.2017 (found materials), 2018 and Lauren Kalman, To Hold... (glass), 2022.
The 2025 prize will be awarded for a work in WOOD. Previous Raphael Prize videos may be viewed at: https://contemporarycraft.org/exhibitions/elizabeth-r-raphael-founders-prize.
MEDIA CRITERIA
The 2025 Elizabeth R. Raphael Founder’s Prize competition is open to all artists working in wood. Emerging artists are especially encouraged to apply.
2025 RAPHAEL PRIZE CALENDAR
- (Phase I) Call for Artists begins August 12, 2024
- Deadline for receipt of application October 18, 2024
- Notification of Finalists November 30, 2024
- (Phase II) Deadline for Finalists’ submissions July 5, 2025
- Final work to be delivered by August 2, 2025
- Notification of prizewinners August 29, 2025
- Exhibition schedule September 19, 2025 - January 17, 2026
- Travel schedule begins February 2026 (if secured)
ELIGIBILITY
Open to exceptionally talented artists who are in the early, mid or late stages of their career and reside in the United States or abroad.
The prize will be awarded to a work created between July 2024 and July 2025 that addresses the theme of “transformation.”
JURYING PROCESS
Jurying will take place in TWO phases. From the initial submissions, a group of finalists will be invited to submit a work on the selected theme for the final jurying and inclusion in the Raphael Prize exhibition. Only one work per artist may be provided for final jurying. Artists are eligible to include work made after July 2024.
DEADLINE
All digital entries must be received by 11:59pm Friday, October 18, 2024.
FINALISTS (TWO PHASES) & NOTIFICATION
Phase I - Finalists will be notified by November 30, 2024 of their selection for inclusion in the Raphael Prize exhibition and catalogue.
Phase II - The prize-winning entry will be chosen from among the works submitted by these finalists for the second round of jurying. The winner of the prize will be notified by August 29, 2025 (embargo) and the winner will be announced at the exhibition opening. Finalists should be prepared to submit three or four additional pieces for the exhibition if they are selected as the Raphael Prize winner.
(Note: Acceptance of a work based solely on the jurors’ viewing of images does not guarantee inclusion. The jurors reserve the right to exclude a submission when viewing actual work. Works selected for the show are expected to travel for up to two years with the exhibition.)
SHIPPING
Artists who are selected as finalists will be responsible for one-way transportation of works to Contemporary Craft; Contemporary Craft will pay return transportation costs and insurance. Works must be packed securely and double boxed in reusable containers with thorough re-packing instructions and complete forms for return.
INSURANCE/LIABILITY
Artists who are selected as finalists will be responsible for insuring their work in transit to Contemporary Craft. Contemporary Craft will insure artworks for the entire exhibition period, storage and during return shipment. Contemporary Craft cannot be held liable for lost or damaged pieces during shipping.
PRIZE WINNER
In addition to being featured in the exhibition, the prize winner receives a $5,000 cash award, and a 3-5 minute video will be made of the artist and her/his/their work.
JURORS
A five-member panel will select finalists from the initial submissions, and also select the prize-winning entry. Jurors will include: Jennifer-Navva Milliken, Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Museum for Art in Wood, Philadelphia, PA; Christopher Kurtz, Artist, Hudson Valley, NY; Catherine Raphael, Metalsmith and Storyteller, Pittsburgh, PA; Rachel Saul Rearick, Executive Director and Yu-San Cheng, Associate Director, Contemporary Craft, Pittsburgh,PA.
APPLICATION DETAILS
Applications may be submitted online at jotform. Application materials must include:
1) Resume (2-page maximum) in pdf format (file size must be under 1MB);
2) Artists are required to submit at least 4 images. 4 Representative Images similar in quality and nature to the work the artist would enter if selected as a finalist, images need not be the exact pieces the artist intends to enter (file size for each image must be under 2MB);
3) Image Details including: title, year, medium, size, retail value
4) Non-refundable Entry Fee* of $45 payable online or via check to Contemporary Craft (5645 Butler Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15201)
*Please contact Contemporary Craft if the application fee is prohibitive.
UPLOAD
All uploaded files must be labeled with your full name and title for example, for resumes sally.smith.resume.doc or image file sally.smith.image1.jpg
INQUIRIES
For questions or concerns, please email:
Yu-San Cheng, Associate Director at yscheng@contemporarycraft.org
Justin Lin, Exhibition Coordinator at jlin@contemporarycraft.org