Calling all UK based amateur and professional artists! The John Ruskin Prize is returning for its third year. This time with a bigger winning prize fund, additional awards and exciting, new exhibition opportunities!

This year, emerging and established artists are invited to respond to the theme, Recording Britain Now: Society, to re-assess their practice and focus on the prevalent social issues of 2015/16. In the same way that, 75 years ago, Recording Britain sought to map familiar townscapes and countryside under threat, this will be an invitation to engage with a society in rapid transition, and presents a unique opportunity to join the ranks of earlier well-known commentators on the state of the nation.

With support from The Pilgrim Trust, and a renewed partnership with The Guild of St. George the winning prize fund has increased to £5,000, and two new prizes have been introduced: a runner up prize of £2,000 and a student prize of £1,000.

The selection panel is confirmed as:

• Adam Dant (Artist)
• Gill Saunders (Senior Curator of Prints, Victoria & Albert Museum) 
• Stephen Snoddy (Director, The New Art Gallery Walsall)
• Sue Grayson Ford (Director, The Campaign for Drawing)
• Clive Wilmer (Master, The Guild of St. George)

The John Ruskin Prize was inaugurated in 2012 by The Guild of St. George and The Campaign for Drawing. It aims to uphold Ruskin’s belief that drawing helps us see the world more clearly and be more aware of its fragility. The Prize allows us to promote and give exposure to the work of emerging artists using a wide range of media and techniques.

Last year's shortlist offered an engaging mix of materials, techniques and topical commentary, exploring urban sprawl, dereliction and the endangered British countryside with the winning piece by Maggie Hargreaves being purchased by Millenium Dome architect, Mike Davies. Now in its third year, The John Ruskin Prize is establishing itself as a showcase for emerging talent and established artists from all reaches of the UK, and in 2015 we expect to attract even more quality works as well as high profile interest and exposure for our shortlist.

The winners, alongside 15 shortlisted artists will be included in a high profile exhibition at The New Art Gallery, Walsall in early 2016 closely followed by a London showing at The Electrician’s Shop Gallery set within the unique surrounds of Trinity Buoy Wharf, London. The exhibitions will be accompanied by a series of talks and events linking with the V&A’s ‘Recording Britain’ collection and all shortlisted artists will be invited for inclusion in a catalogue featuring both collections.

The deadline for entries is 23 November 2015.

For more information visit: www.thebigdraw.org/ruskinprize