Nominations now open for the Helgaard Steyn Award for Sculpture in 2021.

The Helgaard Steyn Trust was established by the estate of Dr J H (Jan) Steyn (1902-1983), an old boy of the former Grey University College (now the University of the Free State), late MP for Potchefstroom and director of companies. The Trust is named after Dr Steyn’s father, past MPC for Bloemfontein and youngest brother of M T Steyn, the last president of the Orange Free State Republic.

The Trust benefits the conservation of agricultural land in the Free State and the promotion of artistic culture in South Africa. Fifty percent of the net annual rental income from the conservation area is dedicated to the Helgaard Steyn Award. The prizes are awarded in a quadrennial cycle, alternating between the disciplines of musical composition, painting, literature, and sculpture. The presentation venue alternates between Potchefstroom and Bloemfontein.

NOMINASIES FOR 2021
The following provisions are applicable for nominations of candidates for the Helgaard Steyn Award for Sculpture in 2021:

• Any artist of South African birth is eligible for the Helgaard Steyn Award. The prize is awarded for any work of art considered, in the opinion of the panel of adjudicators, to be the most meritorious in the discipline, provided that it was produced during the preceding four years (2017 to 2020) and that the work was offered for purchase on a public exhibition, be in a public art collection or be currently displayed in a public space.
• The adjudicators interpret the provisions to imply that the merits of the works of art under consideration would include their exemplification of a high level of artistic achievement and innovative leadership maintained by the artist over an extended period of time.
• The adjudicators have the responsibility of reconciling the original stipulations with an inclusive interpretation of the category of sculpture, in keeping with current practice in the visual arts. Thus ‘sculpture’ may be free-standing pieces and constructions works in relief, or enclosed or open-air installations in any permanent medium, including ceramics.
• Art museums, galleries and their appointees, curators, art consultants and arts practitioners are invited to nominate artworks by submitting a statement of motivation, a curriculum vitae of the artist and the details of the artwork (including visual documentation) to the panel of adjudicators.