FINAL year undergraduate artists from across the UK have until Tuesday, April 3 to apply for one of the UK’s most generous arts prizes.

The Woon Foundation Painting and Sculpture Prize, jointly hosted by Northumbria University and BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art offers an exceptional opportunity for fine art students in the form of a £20,000 fellowship first prize, with a 12-month studio space in the Woon Tai Jee studio at BALTIC 39 in Newcastle city centre.

The year-long fellowship includes mentoring from staff from both institutions and a final exhibition with catalogue at the end of the Fellowship. There are also two runner-up prizes of £9,000 and £6,000.

Up to 10 artists will be shortlisted from the open submission for a prize-giving exhibition in July. The prize is free to enter and applications can be made via: www.baltic39.com/woonprize/ until Tuesday, April 3.

Professor Jean Brown, from Northumbria’s Department of Arts, said: “The Woon Foundation provides a hugely exciting opportunity for the winners to further develop their practice and I would urge final year fine art students from across the UK to apply.”

The panel of judges for this year’s Woon Prize has been drawn from Northumbria University and BALTIC, supported by independent external advisors and the winner of the Woon Foundation Painting and Sculpture Prize 2017: Dean Hughes, Head of the Department of Arts at Northumbria; Alessandro Vincentelli, Curator of Exhibitions and Research at BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art; Hannah Firth, Director of Visual Arts and Programme / Deputy Director, Chapter; Kathryn Brame, Engagement and Development Coordinator, Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art, Sunderland; and last year’s Woon Prize winner and Woon Fellow 2017/18, Joy Labinjo.

Earlier this year, Joy launched her first solo exhibition, Belonging at Morely Gallery in London.Her paintings draw on her British-Nigerian heritage and examine the complex relationship between identity, race and culture.

Mr Wee Teng Woon, a Northumbria graduate and keen art collector, along with his three brothers established the Woon Foundation Art and Sculpture Prize in 2012.

To enter the Woon Prize 2018 and for full terms, conditions and eligibility criteria go to: www.baltic39.com/woonprize/