THE HYLTON MACKLEY ARTIST OF THE YEAR AWARD SPONSORED BY THE MACKLEY FAMILY

The Hylton Mackley Artist of the Year Award Sponsored by the Mackley Family showcases the year’s best artistic talent in painting and sculpture. Artists are selected based on participation in at least two of that year’s Select Exhibitions by the votes of their peers.

The Victorian Artists Society holds three Select Exhibitions throughout the year; the Autumn, Winter and Spring Exhibitions. All exhibiting artists in these three exhibitions and artist members are invited to cast votes for their four favourite artists. These votes are used to decide the list of candidates for the Artist of the Year Award exhibition. The VAS AOTY is awarded to the artist gaining the most votes for the select exhibitions including the AOTY exhibition at the opening night award ceremony.

This award is unique as it is not awarded by a committee or judge, but by the peers of the winning artist and demands sustained performance over the exhibiting year. Invited artists may submit up to three works into the final exhibition.

The following prizes are given for the AOTY Award Exhibition:

Prize money for 2023 will be $10,000 with an increase in value to 2035 when the prize money is planned to reach circa $23,000.

In addition to the prize money the Artist of the Year will receive a trophy, a framed certificate, and an invitation to hold a solo exhibition in the Cato Gallery, with commission on sales.

The Noel Waite AO Exhibitors’ Choice Award is a $500 prize awarded to the artist gaining the most votes from the exhibiting members who are exhibiting in the Artist of the Year exhibition.