The Bennett Prize
Forecasted
The Bennett Prize supports women figurative realist painters with two years of painting and a nationally traveling solo exhibition to advance their careers and share their creative visions with broader audiences.
Funder: Pittsburgh Foundation
Due Dates (Anticipated): September 2028 (Call for Entries deadline)
Funding Amounts: $75,000 over two years for the winner; $10,000 for one runner-up
Summary: Supports a woman figurative realist painter in creating a solo exhibition that travels nationally.
Key Information: Applicants cannot have received an award or grant, or sold one artwork, for $35,000 or more.
Description
The Bennett Prize supports women figurative realist painters who have not yet achieved full professional recognition. Created in 2018 by collectors Steven Alan Bennett and Dr. Elaine Melotti Schmidt, it is funded by the Pittsburgh Foundation and administered by the Muskegon Museum of Art (MMA). The prize provides a two-year stipend to develop a solo exhibition, which then travels with an exhibition of finalists.
The program aims to advance artists’ careers while introducing broader audiences to women’s creative visions in figurative realist painting. It welcomes both newer artists and women who have painted for many years; chronological age is not a selection preference. Ten finalists participate in a traveling exhibition, and one additional finalist receives a runner-up award.
