Call for Entries - Margaret Flockton Award 2019

The Call for Entries for the 2019 Margaret Flockton Award for Excellence in Scientific Botanical Illustration has been published by ​The Margaret Flockton Award Committee

The deadline for digital online entry is 29 January 2019.

Images from Margaret Flockton Award prizewinners and highly commended 2016-2018 - on Flickr

The Margaret Flockton Award

The Margaret Flockton Award is a prestigious international award for  contemporary scientific botanical illustration which

• celebrates the best scientific botanical illustration completed by botanical illustrators from around the world today
• commemorates the contribution Margaret Flockton (1861-1953) made to Australian scientific botanical illustration.

In particular , the Award focuses on:

• both traditional and digital techniques that best illustrate the botanical world
• a range of plants from new or renamed species, to rare, vulnerable or endangered plants, as well as common native or exotic subjects.

The Award is run by Catherine Wardrop and Lesley Elkan, the botanical illustrators at the Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney, Australia where Margaret Flockton worked in the Herbarium - on behalf of the Margaret Flockton Award Committee.

The Prizes are as follows

• First prize: AU$5000;
• second prize: AU$2000;
• 3 x Highly Commended.

However the best prize is probably the career development benefit of being identified as one of the best scientific botanical illustrators in the world.

This is an OPEN COMPETITION and the Award always welcomes new and talented illustrators. Those interested should first review the entries in the exhibition in 2018 - as exhibited on Flickr

How to enter

You can read about how to enter on:

• The RBGS website - see The Margaret Flockton Award Register for updates with the enquiries email on this page.
  
• This website - see The Margaret Flockton Award for Excellence in Scientific Botanical Illustration

You can send in an entry between Mon 14 January and Tues 29 January 2019. Note this is earlier than last year when the submission was in February.

Key points to note are:

All entries must be submitted digitally.

• All original illustrations must be scanned or photographed at high resolution and then submitted via approved large-file transfer sites.
• No original artworks will require sending or receiving. 
• Digital submission - forms
• Digital submission - artwork
• Permissions

Fully digitally rendered, printable illustrations are now eligible for entry. 

• but NOT animated or 3D works

Entries must comply with a range of technical requirements

• these are explained in full on the website in addition to A Guide to Scientific Illustration

No artworks will be offered for sale by RBGS

• BUT direct email or website details will be made available, with the consent of the artist for sales to be arranged direct with the relevant artist.

Assessment

Judging: Entries will be assessed in accordance with the following criteria:

• accurate interpretation and portrayal of plant characters and diagnostic features;
• technical merit;
• reproducibility;
• composition;
  
• artistic merit.
  

See A Guide to Scientific Illustration on the RBGS page for more information on judging criteria.

Further Information

• Information for artists
  
• Enquiries and further information

Exhibition

The botanical illustrations in the Exhibition can be seen at three different locations.

• Works for sale - selected works will be available for sale direct from the artist
• The exhibition details for the three locations are as follows:

VENUE 1:

• Venue: Joseph Maiden Theatre, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney - enter via Woolloomooloo Gate on Mrs Macquaries Road
• Dates:  Sat 30 March – Sun 14 April 2019 daily 10 am - 4 pm.
• Cost: Entry to the exhibition is free 

VENUE 2:

• Venue: The Australian PlantBank at The Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan
• Dates: Saturday 8 June – Sunday 28 July 2019,  Mon – Fri 10 am – 4 pm and selected weekends

VENUE 3:

• Venue: Visitor Centre at The Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah
• Dates: Friday 9 August – Sunday 15 September 2019,  daily 9.30 am – 4.30 pm

More Information:

• https://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/science/botanical-illustration/the-margaret-flockton-award-2019
  
• https://www.botanicalartandartists.com/margaret-flockton-award.html​