Archive: the Buxton Spa Art Prize exhibition and awards took place in 2021.

The Buxton Spa Art Prize 2021 Exhibition, featuring work by over 100 artists, was launched at an awards event attended by a small invited audience at The Green Man Gallery on Thursday 24th June. 

The competition began in 2014 to raise the profile of artists and their work in Buxton.

Visitors looking at paintings in the gallery

Competition founder Trevor Osborne said at the 2021 launch: “It seems like only yesterday that I suggested the first art competition which has over the years become an annual event. The Buxton Spa Art Prize has attracted so many talented and wonderful artists in every one of the seven years it has taken place.”

A painting of sunlit woodland in Corbar Wood
The Buxton Spa Art Prize, 1st Prize Winner – Reaching For The Light, Corbar Wood by Matthew Phinn.

The 2021 exhibition ran from 25 June to 25 July at The Green Man Gallery, which closed in December 2024.

Judges for the competition included local and nationally renowned artists Haidee-Jo Summers, Simon Roderick and Ingrid Karlsson, Derbyshire Museums & Galleries Manager Ros Westwood MBE and the High Sheriff of Derbyshire Louise Potter.

Guests seated in the gallery

The 2021 report named the following winners of the main prize:

1st – Reaching For The Light – Corbar Wood Matthew Phinn

2nd – The Little Train – Buxton Eva Juusula

3rd – Together Again Jenny Aitken

Highly Commended:

  • Picture Post Pam Smart
  • The Crescent – Buxton Spa Nick Grove
  • From the top of Hall Bank – Buxton Susan Isaac
A painting of a path beside water
The Buxton Spa Teen Art Prize 2021, 1st Prize Winner – Where’s the Rain? by Hannah Dunkin, aged 13.

The report listed the following winners of the 2021 teen prize:

1st – Where’s the Rain? Hannah Dunkin, aged 13

2nd – Bar Brasserie Grace Riordan, aged 13

3rd – It was forecast as sunny Camilla Clay, aged 13

A painting of trees and bluebells
The Buxton Spa Children’s Prize 2021, 1st Prize Winner – The Bluebell Forest in Corbar Woods by Prudie Dawson, aged 10.

It listed these winners of the 2021 children’s prize:

1st – The Bluebell Forest in Corbar Woods Prudie Dawson aged 10

2nd – My Favourite Climbing Tree Hector Dawson aged 3

3rd – A Family Walk Verity Dawson aged 8

The Buxton Spa Children’s Prize 2021

Winners received art materials, cash prizes and vouchers for Poole’s Cavern, kindly sponsored by Buxton Civic Association.

The report also listed five Buxton International Festival Choice paintings:

  • Picture Post Pam Smart
  • Cross Culture Pollinisation Amanda Cirillo
  • Crescent Illumination Mark Langley
  • The Little Train – Buxton Eva Juusula
  • Spring Time on Broad Walk Sam Bailey

The 2021 People’s Choice award

The 2021 exhibition also included a People’s Choice award, with a prize sponsored by Ensana, Bill and Sheila Barratt, Jean Rodger and Adrian Brown.

Two people talking in the gallery

The organisers thanked their 2021 supporters:

The Trevor Osborne Charitable Trust, The Buxton Spa Company, Ensana Buxton Crescent, Creative Heritage, The Bingham Trust, No 5 Church Street – Buxton Spa, No 6 The Square Tearooms & Accommodation, Adrian Brown & Jean Rodger, Bill & Sheila Barratt, Salman Property Care, Buxton Civic Association, Vision Buxton,Buxton International Festival, Buxton Festival Fringe, Pure Peak, High Peak 360 and Explore Buxton.

The Green Man Gallery closed to the public on 22 December 2024. Read the gallery’s closure notice.