The Bennett Prize, established by San Antonio art collectors Steven Bennett and Elaine Melotti Schmidt, calls on women painters of the figurative realistic style to enter for the chance to win $50,000 and a solo exhibition. Ten finalists will also each receive $1,000 to participate in a traveling exhibition.
Professional Artist
The Bennett Prize, created in 2018, awards $50,000 to a woman artist to create her own solo exhibition of figurative realist paintings, which will travel the country. The Prize will propel the careers of women painters who have not yet realized full professional recognition, empowering new artists and those who have painted for many years.
Publisher: Speak Art
Speak Art blog
Dr. Elaine Melotti Schmidt spent her work career facilitating the education of younger students. As teacher and administrator she was involved in creating learning environments for students with special learning needs.
The Artist NXT Level
PITTSBURGH, April 13, 2018 – Women who paint in the figurative realist style are invited to apply for the $50,000 Bennett Prize, the largest ever offered solely to women painters.
San Antonio-based patrons Steven Alan Bennett and Dr. Elaine Melotti Schmidt have been contemplating how to support female artists for almost a decade, since they first began collecting art. This spring, they founded the Bennett Prize, which Bennett hopes will give female figurative painters “more flexibility to focus on their work” and “more visibility.”
Artsy
With nine artists across six time zones this episode is a great snapshot of the global village that is the figurative art community. Back in August of 2017 Dr. Elaine Melotti Schmidt was on the podcast talking about an open call for an exhibition she was curating called, “Visions of Venus / Venus’ Visions.”
JohnDalton.me
The Bennett Prize, the largest ever offered solely to women painters, was announced today by art collectors Steven Alan Bennett and Dr. Elaine Melotti Schmidt, who are endowing the $50,000 biennial prize at The Pittsburgh Foundation.
Fine Art Connoisseur
Endowed by art collectors Steven Alan Bennett and Dr. Elaine Melotti Schmidt with a $3 million gift, the $50,000 Bennett Prize will spotlight women artists who paint in the figurative realist style and who have not yet achieved full professional recognition — both new artists and those who have painted for many years.
Philanthropy News Digest
A mutual interest in art helped bring San Antonio collectors Steven Alan Bennett and Elaine Melotti Schmidt together. Now they are putting that shared passion to work to benefit others. The couple have endowed the Bennett Prize, a $50,000 biennial award that will be given to female artists who specialize in figurative realist imagery and have not yet received full professional recognition.
San Antonio News-Express
The largest ever art award offered only to women painters, The Bennett Prize, was announced today by art collectors Steven Alan Bennett and Dr. Elaine Melotti Schmidt, who are endowing the $50,000 biennial prize at The Pittsburgh Foundation.
NEXT Pittsburgh
