The Mark Tanner Sculpture Award
The Mark Tanner Sculpture Award (MTSA) is the most significant award for emerging artists working in the field of sculpture in the UK: offering £10,000 in financial support towards the making of new work, plus a solo show at Standpoint Gallery.
The MTSA seeks to reward outstanding and innovative practice, with a particular interest in work that demonstrates a commitment to process, or sensitivity to material.
The recipient is selected from an open call by a panel, guest selectors have included Richard Wilson RA, Conrad Shawcross RA, Lisa Le Feuvre, Richard Deacon CBE RA, Phyllida Barlow CBE RA, Rachel Whiteread CBE, Cornelia Parker OBE RA, Tim Marlow, Alison Wilding RA, Cathie Pilkington RA and Clare Lilley.
Applications 2023-24
Mark Tanner Sculpture Award 2023-24 applications have now closed.
MTSA Limited Edition Prints
Limited edition lithographs for sale.
Steph Huang
Mark Tanner Sculpture Award Winner 2023-24
We are delighted to announce that Steph Huang (b. 1990, Taiwan) has won the 2023-24 Mark Tanner Sculpture Award.
Steph Huang is the 21st winner of the annual sculpture prize and receives: £10,000 towards the production of new work over the coming year; a solo exhibition at Standpoint in 2024; and a National Touring Programme.
Huang was selected from close to 300 entries by a judging panel comprising: Francis Upritchard; Claire Feeley, Head of Exhibitions, Jupiter Artland; Rebecca Scott, Director, Cross Lane Projects and Mark Tanner Trust; and Lee Holden, MTSA winner 2022/23.
Nnena Kalu awarded a Mark Tanner Sculpture Grant
Standpoint is pleased to announce Nnena Kalu had been awarded a Mark Tanner Sculpture Grant.
Nnena Kalu ((b.1966, Glasgow, UK) is a sculptor and visual artist who has worked with ActionSpace for over 20 years at their supported studio at Studio Voltaire. Nnena has developed a unique practice that shares her sculptural process with the viewer by creating performative, large-scale installations in-situ.
Nnena was awarded the one-off £4,000 grant following this year’s MTSA shortlisted interviews. The panel identified that Nnena would benefit from additional supported time in her ActionSpace studio and a grant to enable this would make a beneficial impact on the artist’s sculptural practice and future development. ActionSpace is a London based visual arts organisation who supports artists with learning disabilities in developing their artist practices. The grant will provide Nnena with supported studio time for a six-month period.
Background of the MTSA
Mark Tanner was a British Sculptor who trained at St. Martin's College of Art and had been associated with Standpoint since its inception. He worked mainly in steel, and was one of the first artists to show in Standpoint Gallery. He died in 1998 after a long illness.
The Mark Tanner Award was established in 2001, on the initiative of and with full sponsorship from a private charitable trust, to keep alive the passion and enthusiasm he had for the making of art.
MTSA Publications
MTSA Archives
MTSA Archives
Previous recipients of the MTSA
2021/22 Rosie Edwards
2020/21 Dean Kenning
2019/20 Olivia Bax
2018/19 Anna Reading
2017/18 Frances Richardson
2016/17 Beth Collar
2015/16 Megan Broadmeadow
2014/15 Kate Lyddon
2013/14 Iain Hale
2010/11 Jemima Brown
2009/10 John Wallbank
2008/9 Paul Carter
2007/8 Clara Clark
2006/7 John Summers
2005/6 Kevin Osmond
2004/5 Paul Jones
2003/4 Victoria Rance
2002/3 Giles Kent
2001/2 Rosie Leventon
Previous Guest selectors
Phyllida Barlow CBE RA, Rachel Whiteread CBE, Cornelia Parker OBE RA, Cathy de Monchaux, Richard Deacon CBE RA, Lisa Le Feuvre, Conrad Shawcross RA, Penelope Curtis, Laurence Sillars, Richard Wilson RA, Tim Marlow, Hew Locke, Alison Wilding RA, Denise de Cordova, Cathie Pilkington RA and Clare Lilley.