WEST YORKSHIRE.- A long list of 21 artists/artist collaborators has been nominated from across the North of England for the sixth Northern Art Prize. Artists come from as far afield as Carlisle to Sheffield, Liverpool to Whitley Bay , each showcasing the wealth of talent currently practising in the regions.

The panel that will whittle down the long listed artists to a shortlist of four bring many years’ experience across arts practice, commissioning, curating and writing to the 2013 Prize. Turner Prize-winning painter Tomma Abts; Director of South London Gallery Margot Heller; Co-Editor of contemporary arts magazine ‘Frieze’, Jennifer Higgie and Co-Director of Artangel James Lingwood will select a winner who will walk away with £16,500 prize money, all under the stewardship of Sarah Brown, chair of the judging panel and Curator of Exhibitions at Leeds Art Gallery.

The artists and their nominators are:

North West

• Iain Andrews, Didsbury, Manchester
• Samantha Donnelly, Manchester
• Dave Griffiths, Manchester
• Margaret Harrison, Carlisle
• David Mackintosh, Salford
• Rosalind Nashashibi, Liverpool
• David Osbaldeston, Manchester
• Magnus Quaife, Mossley
• Emily Speed, Frodsham, Cheshire

North East

• Peter J. Evans, Newcastle upon Tyne
• Lothar Götz, Sunderland
• Ben Jeans Houghton, Newcastle upon Tyne
• James Hutchinson, Monkseaton, Whitley Bay
• Sneha Solanki, Whitley Bay
• Joanne Tatham & Tom O’Sullivan, Gorforth
• Kraig Wilson, Saltburn by the sea

Yorkshire

• Tim Etchells, Sheffield
• Matthew Houlding, Todmorden
• Kaye & West, Huddersfield
• Paul Morrison, Sheffield
• Sarah Staton, Sheffield

Moving to a fresh new spring slot in the Leeds Art Gallery programme the Northern Art Prize exhibition will open to the public on 28 March running through until 16 June 2013 with the winner announced on 23rd May 2013.

Pippa Hale, Founder and Director of the Northern Art Prize commented: “This year we are delighted to welcome three nominators from outside the North of England. We recognise that many of the artists in the region operate on a national, and often international level, so it seemed appropriate to reflect this at the nominations stage. The artists however still have to be based in the North of England and I’m delighted to see so many new names of the long list this year. Once again there’s a real diversity of media, career trajectories and of course ages - it’s great to see a wide range of artists from those in their 20s to 70s working with sound, paint, sculpture and digital technology. It clearly demonstrates one of the unique things about the Northern Art Prize in that it isn’t restricted by media or age.”

The Northern Art Prize was founded in 2006 by Director Pippa Hale in collaboration with design and communications agency Logistik Ltd and Leeds City Council who continue to support the prize in its sixth year. Pippa is also Co-Founder and Co-Director of PSL [Project Space Leeds].