Australia’s longest standing and most prestigious art awards, the Blake Prize, will be exhibited at Galleries UNSW at the College of Fine Arts (COFA).

The 62nd Blake Prize for Religious Art is only the second exhibition to be presented at the new public art space that opened its doors in August.

Director of Galleries UNSW, Dr Felicity Fenner, said she is thrilled that COFA is hosting the prize.

“The Blake has a long history of prompting engaging and at times contentious discussion about the immensely rich and complex subjects of religion and spirituality. It remains a highly anticipated event on the annual arts calendar, as well as being a highly sought-after award attracting interest from artists of all backgrounds and cultures.”

The Blake Prize was established in 1951 and is the oldest prize in Australia dedicated to spirituality, religion and cultural diversity. The annual awards have increased in value this year to $35,000.

The 2013 Blake Prize finalists include emerging artists and COFA students Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran and David Capra, COFA lecturer Ben Rak and COFA PhD candidates, Susanna Strati and Abdulla Mi Syed. Internationally celebrated artists Tony Clark and COFA lecturer Joan Ross, as well as elder statesmen of the art world such as Franz Kempf and Andrew Nott are also among the 73 finalists.

The finalists are vying for three awards: the 62nd Blake Prize ($25,000), the MUA Blake Prize for Human Justice ($5,000), and the John Coburn Emerging Artist Award ($5,000).

The art prize is judged this year by COFA Senior Lecturer in the School of Art Theory and Art Education, Dr Jay Johnston, Carriageworks Director Lisa Havilah and 2012 finalist Tim Johnson.

COFA has a long and successful association with the Blake Prize with three COFA graduates; Angelica Mesiti, Fabian Astore and Khaled Sabsabi winning the prize in the last four years.

"Since Angelica Mesiti won the Blake Prize with a video work of young people at a music concert, there has been a great deal of interest from both students and graduates of COFA in the significance of new media in the prize,” said Fenner.

Winners of the Blake Prize and the Blake Poetry Prize will be announced on 17 October with the exhibition opening at Galleries UNSW on 18 October.

Date: The exhibition runs Friday 18 October to Saturday 16 November

Address: Galleries UNSW, COFA Art Design Media, Cnr Oxford St and Greens Rd, Paddington

Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm

Read more about the Blake Prize finalists on The Sydney Morning Herald and The Guardian Australia websites.

Media contact: Fran Strachan, UNSW Media| fran.strachan@unsw.edu.au | 9385 8732 | 0429 416 070