MUSKEGON, MICH, April 13, 2026 - Aspiring women painters are invited to apply for The Bennett Prize. The newly increased $75,000 grand prize is the largest offered solely to women figurative realist painters. The call for entries runs April 13 to Sept. 19, 2026, and additional details may be found here. Artists may enter directly here. For the third time, an additional award of $10,000 will be given to one other finalist.

 

Dallas, Texas-based artist Amy Werntz won the fourth Bennett Prize in 2025, following winners Shiqing Deng in 2023, Ayana Ross in 2021, and Aneka Ingold in 2019. Notably, Werntz was named a finalist in the second Bennett Prize competition in 2021. She is currently creating new work for her Bennett Prize solo exhibition, which will travel the country starting next year. The exhibition will be on display during the summer of 2027 at the Muskegon Museum of Art (MMA) in Muskegon, Michigan.

 

Endowed by art collectors Steven Alan Bennett and Dr. Elaine Melotti Schmidt at the MMA, The Bennett Prize aims to elevate women figurative realist painters—helping them achieve their full potential. The winner receives $37,500 each year for two years, so she has time to create her solo show.

"The Muskegon Museum of Art has been proud to partner with The Bennett Prize and provide a platform for these exceptional women figurative realist painters to share their work with our community. Hosting the Bennett Prize solo exhibition has been a tremendous privilege, and we have seen firsthand the power of this program to elevate women artists onto the national stage," said Kirk Hallman, Executive Director of the Muskegon Museum of Art. "Thanks to Steven Alan Bennett and Dr. Elaine Melotti Schmidt's extraordinary generosity and vision, these talented painters are receiving the recognition they have long deserved."

 

The Prize aims to level the playing field for women artists. Works by women artists are collected and shown less frequently by galleries and museums and, when they are purchased, the prices paid are typically far less than those paid to artists who are men.

 

From the first four iterations of The Bennett Prize, winners, runners-up, finalists, and honorable mentions have collectively participated in 312 group shows and 138 solo shows, received 72 additional awards, been featured in 145 art publications, 70% have gained gallery representation, and earned over 10 million impressions on social media. The Bennett Prize does not simply recognize artists — it transforms careers.

 

"Art stands up to the most difficult circumstances and speaks truth even in the most arduous times. In periods when turmoil clouds the perception of regular people, artists are able to see through the chaos and give us a clear-eyed vision of ourselves and our era. With the call for entries for the fifth edition of The Bennett Prize now open, we anticipate much needed insight and skill will be reflected in the work of all the talented women who step up and compete. We are counting on our women participants to keep us honest with ourselves," Steven Alan Bennett said.

 

The Bennett Prize is awarded by a five-member jury comprising painter Julie Heffernan, a Professor of Fine Arts at Montclair State University; Miranda Lash, Ellen Bruss Chief Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver; Dr. Tiffany E. Barber, scholar, curator, and Assistant Professor of African American Art at UCLA; and co-founders Steven Alan Bennett and Dr. Elaine Melotti Schmidt, who are participating together as jurors for the first time. The jury will select 10 painters from among the entrants and from those 10, the winner of both the $75,000 Prize and the $10,000 award.

 

"As the inaugural Director of The Bennett Prize, I am thrilled to be a part of The Bennett Prize as it not only champions women artists, but creates a path forward for women artists to be a part of the conversation. With a roster of impressive finalists and winners behind us, the Prize award generously increased to $75,000 and five experienced jurors from across the art world, this will be the most competitive round of the Prize yet. I am looking forward to seeing what the 5th call for entries brings!" said Amelia Anderson, Director of The Bennett Prize.

 

"The Bennett Prize is designed to promote the careers of women painters who have not yet realized full professional recognition. Ten years since its inception and the Prize is still very much needed now, if not more so, given the cuts to grants that support the arts. Steve and I are fortunate to be positioned to continue our advocacy and patronage for women through the Prize as the priorities in the art world and our broader society continue to be rewritten," said Schmidt.

 

The Prize is not open to hobbyists, students or artists whose work has been sold for $35,000 or more, or who have received an award, prize or other recognition for their art in that amount.

MEDIA CONTACT

Amanda Rogalski

Rogo Marketing & Communications

P: 616-540-9231 

E: aarogalski@rogomarketing.com

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