Evening Standard Art Prize returns for second year: one artist will win £10k for 'progress' painting

The Evening Standard Art Prize is returning for a second year — with £10,000 in cash up for grabs.

Paintings, drawings and sketches are all allowed but with a maximum size of A0 so they can sit comfortably on an easel. The brief this year is the word “progress”.

The winner, chosen from a shortlist assembled by a judging panel led by the Standard’s arts editor William Moore, will be announced at an event at the National Gallery on November 1.

Last year’s winner was painter and Royal College of Art graduate HelenA Pritchard , 42, for her abstract painting To Make a Sculpture.

It was a tribute to London’s “exciting opportunity”, incorporating materials found on the city's streets. Moore said: “I’m thrilled that the Standard’s art prize is back for its second year and it is a privilege that the winner will once again be revealed at the National Gallery.

“Last year’s winner was a love letter to London’s freedoms and I hope that this year’s theme, progress, will similarly inspire artists to create diverse and daring works.”

The winner of the competition, offered in association with Hiscox, includes a lifetime national art pass and a year’s free fine art insurance, as well as the cash prize.

The social media hashtag is #ESArtPrize and for full terms and conditions go to: standard.co.uk/artprize