Ten women from across the country who paint in the figurative realist style have been named finalists for the fourth iteration of The Bennett Prize. At $50,000, it is the largest-ever art award offered solely to women figurative realist painters. The winner and an additional finalist, who will take home the $10,000 Schmidt Achievement in Figurative Realism Prize, will be announced in 2025.
A four-woman jury including artist and educator Angela Fraleigh; Gloria Groom, curator at the Art Institute of Chicago; artist and educator Margaret Bowland; and The Bennett Prize co-founder Dr. Elaine Melotti Schmidt selected the 10 finalists from hundreds of entries. Endowed at The Pittsburgh Foundation by art collectors Steven Alan Bennett and Dr. Elaine Melotti Schmidt, The Bennett Prize is designed to propel the careers of women artists.
“In a country where meaningful art awards are rare, having one that specifically celebrates women is crucial for narrowing the persistent gap in inequality that still exists. The selection process was challenging but immensely rewarding,” said Fraleigh.
The winner of the $50,000 award will be announced on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at the Muskegon Museum of Art. Finalists’ works will remain on view there until August 24, 2025, before traveling, with scheduled exhibitions at the Arnot Art Museum (Elmira, New York), Customs House Museum and Cultural Center (Clarksville, Tennessee), the Bo Bartlett Center (Columbus, Georgia) and Studio Incamminati (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). The work of Shiqing Deng, The Bennett Prize 3 winner, will be presented in a solo exhibition that will run concurrently with the exhibition of the finalists.
“The 10 finalists for The Bennett Prize 4 continue to expand the definition of figurative realism. Their work is indispensable to the art world as it challenges the familiar and raises the bar on the definition of excellence,” said Schmidt.
The Bennett Prize 4 Finalists
Olivia Chigas (New York, New York)
Nimah Gobir (Oakland, California)
Ambrin Ling (Salem, Oregon)
Jane Philips (Brooklyn, New York)
Audrey Rodriguez (Brooklyn, New York)
Abbey Rosko (New Tripoli, Pennsylvania)
Nicole M. Santiago (Williamsburg, Virginia)
Amy Werntz (Dallas, Texas) *also a finalist for The Bennett Prize 2
Helena Wurzel (Cambridge, Massachussetts)
Rei Xiao (Brooklyn, New York)
Together, the 27 finalists and three winners from The Bennett Prize 1, 2, and 3 have won 19 additional awards, 19 are represented by galleries, and they have been featured in over 50 different national publications. They’ve participated in 41 solo shows and 142 group shows, creating more opportunity for the public to view their talent. Many have had residencies and sold pieces to museums and permanent collections.
To learn more, visit thebennettprize.org.
