The VAS George Hicks Foundation Contemporary Exhibition award

The annual VAS Contemporary Exhibition is sponsored by the George Hicks Foundation. 

In 2023 the prizes are:

Painting

• 1st Prize $3,000
• 2nd Prize $1,000
• 3rd Prize $500

Sculpture

• 1st Prize $2,000
• 2nd Prize $700
• 3rd Prize $300

The late George Hicks was awarded Life Membership of the Victorian Artists Society in 1979 and was a major sponsor to the VAS Spring and Winter Exhibitions from 1968 to 1987. Mr Hicks' name appears on the VAS Honours Board.  

In this exhibition artists are asked to explore subjects from a modern perspective, challenging themselves creatively. In general, ‘Contemporary’ refers to styles developed from the second half of the 20th Century up until today. It often deals with current social and cultural issues and exploits new media and subverts or reinvents tradition.