Bequest of the estate of Patrick Hennessy and Henry Robertson Craig.

This September will see the inaugural Hennessy Craig exhibition showing in the RHA Dr. Tony Ryan gallery and, from which, the recipient of The Hennessy Craig Award of €20,000 will be selected.

The Hennessy Craig Award, in memory of H. Robertson Craig RHA and Patrick Hennessy RHA, was created through a generous bequest to the Academy by Henry Robertson Craig and the terms under which it is awarded are those specified in his will. The Award is open to any painter under the age of thirty-five exhibiting in the open submission section of the Academy’s Annual Exhibition. The painter must have studied at a recognised art college on the island of Ireland.

The Hennessy Craig Award will be made on a biennial basis cumulating with an exhibition of short-listed artists, every two years, at which the recipient of the award will be announced.

In 2018, the Hennessy Craig jury shortlisted five eligible artists from the 188th Annual Exhibition and an additional five artists have been shortlisted from the 189th Annual Exhibition in 2019 and the recipient will be announced on Wednesday 9 October.

The shortlisted artists are as follows:

2018
Gerry Davis
Stephanie Deady
Leah Hewson
Eve O’Callaghan
Marcel Vidal

2019
Megan Burns
Salvatore of Lucan
William O’Neill
Kurt Oppermann
Kathy Tynan

Each artist is invited to exhibit up to four new works and although considerate of the work submitted, the award will be made based on the overall practice of the artist. This exhibition will offer an unparalleled opportunity to view and for the discernible collector a chance to purchase, the very best work by some of Ireland’s most exciting young painters working today.