The Truth About the
Hunting Art Prize

Most artists would be honored to be a finalist of the Hunting Art Prize where only one artist gets a grand prize of 50,000. First of all its only open to Texas artists working in the two-dimensional medium. No photography. This year I was notified that I passed the first round of jurying and am one of the 128 finalists for the money. They have a big gala and lots of food, etc. Artists are asked to stand next to the their work while oil barons and their wives roam around thinking they know what art is.

I sent in my painting, or rather two-dimensional work in the specifics they requested. Built a big wooden crate and wrapped it double in bubble wrap. Everything was fine until two weeks before the gala was to be held. I received an email that the second round of jurors had disqualified me. No explanation was given just a repeat of the statement they made me sign that gives them the right to do just whatever they want regarding my entry.

I tried to get some answer from a Hunting Art Prize official but no one returned my calls or emails. I contacted one of the jurors for the second round and he told me that he never even seen my work there. He also gave me a name and email of the person whom he dealt with over at Hunting. I emailed this person and was told that the jurors disqualified the work because it was not a painting!!!! What do they know what a painting is? I submitted a shaped painting consisting of paint (actually a lot of it) and it hangs on the wall. Anyway, how could my painting that according to them is really not a painting, was disqualified by a juror when the juror I contacted never even saw the actual work????

The bottom line of all this is that my work in point blank, spells out the opposite of peace. That is the title and they probably opened the crate and saw the word WAR and said no way! They are an oil company and what would the oil barons and their wives say about that? So, I got the boot but was not alone. This is my story but there are a number of web blogs going on that speak of the other artists that got disqualified. Some have war imagery or religious icons buried in it so it figures that the Hunting Art Prize folks don't want to deal with certain 'issues'. This is a prize that is supposed to be very important and distinguished. Well, they don't have respect for artists since I had to pay for everything when I sent my work to them. Building a crate, shipping there and back. Some artists even booked a flight and reserved a hotel to go to the gala in May but eventually got disqualified too. This British oil company Mr. Hunting owns wants his prize to be something of worth. It’s more like playing the lottery and making a big show out of artists’ work. I heard that there were men painted gold in Speedos serving the guests. What kind of circus this is I don't want a part of.

It would have been a effort of good will to at least give payment to the artists that have already spent money on this project of getting their work to Houston for the gala and doing everything Hunting wants in order to be honored with the big bucks. They seem not to care a fig for artists and this has already tarnished their reputation. I suggest buying a lottery ticket is better than going through the hassles of a British oil company that knows nothing about art and certainly nothing about respect for artists.  I wonder if they gave the finalists t-shirts like they did last year?