Bringing Contemporary Art to Liverpool: Research into the John Moores Painting Prize.

Established in 1957 by the founding sponsor Sir John Moores. The prize has been a bi-annual celebration of UK artists for their contemporary painting. The prize was founded by the sponsor Sir John Moores, businessman and philanthropist.

Bronze statue of John (left) & Cecil Moores (right), founders of the Littlewoods Football Pools, in Church Street, Liverpool. Photograph of sculpture by Tom Murphy, Photographer: Rodhullandemu. 13th January 2018

Sir John Moores was a key figure of Liverpool, and was memorialised by making him an honorary fellow of the polytechnic school that is now known as Liverpool John Moores University. The John Moors Painting Prize is an opportunity for emerging UK artists to disrupt, challenge and evolve contemporary British painting. Not only does it open up a space for emerging artists, but it also brings a crucial awareness to the arts within the north.

Photograph of the John Moores Painting Prize 2022 Photographed by Pete Carr View source imagery here: https://bitly.ws/SZNW

The domination of the London art scene over the nation has created a corporate culture surrounding the arts. Bringing a national painting prize to Liverpool that is open to different cultures and background within the UK, provides a stage for these artists and supports their careers.

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John Moores Painting Prize China: A cultural exchange of twin port cities.

The China residency programme has been a key feature of the John Moores Painting Prize UK. The prize provided an important cultural exchange between UK and China, bridging a gap between western and non-western art. A key piece of research by the Centre for Chinese Visual Art highlighted the value of Chinese art to enter the artistic diaspora and provide transcultural curation and practice for the art-world (https://bitly.ws/SZIw).

The John Moores Painting Prize China has been running since 2010, forming partnerships between Fine Arts Shanghai University and John Moores University. Having this prize, acts as a gateway into discovering contemporary Chinese painting and gives the artists high acclaim among fine art academies, institutions, collectors and galleries.

Participants who enter the competition, come from a variety of regions and provinces in the Republic of China, providing a wider scope of contemporary Chinese painting. Judged by 3 UK and 2 Chinese art professionals, it brings a non-western lens to the critique of art, and therefore challenging the centralised western view of Chinese contemporary painting. Having the award hosted in such a cultural city such as Liverpool, provides a prominent backdrop for the prize winners to exhibit their work alongside the John Moors Painting Prize UK and the Liverpool Biennial; in which ground-breaking international contemporary artists are exhibited throughout the city.

Liverpool Waterfront. The Strand Liverpool City Centre. Photographed by Terry Kearney

The programme has provided 10 Chinese artists an opportunity to develop and grow their practice with free studio space in the John Lennon Art and Design building, and mentorship from leading cultural institutions such as National Museums Liverpool, Liverpool Biennial, Salford Arts Collections and many more.

The car park and rear of the John Lenon Art and Design building in Orthes Street, Liverpool. Photographed by Rodhullandemu. 19 October 2018

The residency will allow Chinese artists to travel outside of China and explore different art practices and theoretical perspectives to inspire their own work. They also have the opportunity to exhibit their work publicly and develop their notoriety as an artist. This year the exhibit will be held in the Exhibition Research Lab based in the John Lennon Art and Design Building.

Exhibition Research Lab - Exhibition on the Quantum Real – Art and Particles. Prologue: Spectral Exchange. Photograph taken by university staff View image source here: https://bitly.ws/T4uG

To find out more about the John Moores Painting Prize, visit @johnmoorespaintingprize on instagram.

If you are interested in seeing the Chinese artists journey then you can follow our instagram @jmppres.