About the AXA Art Prize

The reason why the AXA Art Prize exists

As one of the largest global insurers, AXA’s purpose is to act for human progress by protecting what matters. Protection has always been at the core of our business, helping individuals, businesses and societies to thrive. Fostering progress and success in all dimensions is part of our DNA. The AXA Art Prize is a way for us to support emerging artistic talent and to give it the platform it deserves.

Established credibility

The competition is built on the legacy of a related prize which ran in the UK for a decade. Now in its eighth year in the United States, the AXA Art Prize has established an excellent reputation as an insightful overview of the best new talent nationwide.

Unrivaled Exposure

Every effort has been made to provide participants with the highest level of exposure and the perfect opportunity in which to showcase their work. Our top forty finalists are selected by an Exhibition Jury comprising of curators from top museums and galleries. Previous jurors included curators from Crystal Bridges, the Brooklyn Museum, Gagosian, the Hammer Museum, the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Art/Boston, The Museum of Modern Art, the New Museum, the National Gallery (Smithsonian), the Noguchi Museum, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the UCCA center for Contemporary Art, and the Whitney Museum. Finalists will have their work exhibited in New York City at the New York Academy of Art. The First and Second Prize winners are determined by a panel of prominent artists. In the past this has included major artists such as Jules de Balincourt, Bo Bartlett, Huma Bhabha, Sanford Biggers, Julia Chiang, Will Cotton, John Currin, Nicole Eisenman, Rachel Feinstein, Eric Fischl, Jenna Gribbon, Damian Loeb, Arcmanoro Niles, Erik Parker, Nicolas Party, Elizabeth Peyton, Rob Pruitt, Calida Rawles, Peter Saul, Tschabalala Self, Amy Sherald, Laurie Simmons, Mickalene Thomas, Salman Toor, and Robin F. Williams.

Eligibility

Applicants must be currently enrolled in a degree-granting program, either as an undergraduate or graduate student majoring in studio art at a U.S. school. Previous XL Catlin and AXA Art Prize exhibition participants are eligible to participate in the 2025 AXA Art Prize US competition; however, they must use a different piece from the one previously exhibited. Previous prize winners are not eligible to submit.

About AXA XL

The AXA Art Prize is brought to you by AXA XL, a division of AXA Group. AXA XL provides insurance and reinsurance solutions to clients in more than 200 countries. We insure some of the world’s most acclaimed galleries, art collections and dealers. AXA XL is an established patron of the arts and continues to champion initiatives designed to support and celebrate emerging talent across the globe. To learn more, visit www.axaxl.com.

The information contained herein is intended for informational purposes only. Insurance coverage in any particular case will depend upon the type of policy in effect, the terms, conditions and exclusions in any such policy, and the facts of each unique situation. No representation is made that any specific insurance coverage would apply in the circumstances outlined herein. Please refer to the individual policy forms for specific coverage details.
AXA XL is a division of AXA Group providing products and services through three business groups: AXA XL Insurance, AXA XL Reinsurance and AXA XL Risk Consulting. In the US, the AXA XL insurance companies are: AXA XL Insurance Company Americas, Greenwich Insurance Company, Indian Harbor Insurance Company, XL Insurance America, Inc., XL Specialty Insurance Company and T.H.E. Insurance Company. Not all of the insurers do business in all jurisdictions nor is coverage available in all jurisdictions.
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