Alongside its rich history, The Merrion Hotel is famed as holding the finest private collection of late 19th century and early 20th Century Irish Art. It contains some significant artworks relevant to the history of Irish visual culture and so the ambition of this prize is to promote the importance of visual art being made today.

To celebrate 21 years in business, The Merrion Hotel is launching a new biennial Contemporary Art Prize called “The Merrion Plinth”. As dedicated supporters of visual art, The Merrion Hotel aims to support living artists by sponsoring this prize honouring outstanding talent. They are inviting professional artists to enter this exciting new competition which will take place every two years with the intention of providing a platform for artists to bring their work to new audiences and be seen alongside some of the great Irish artists of the last century.

The Merrion Plinth Award will grant €5,000 to the winning artist chosen through an open submission competition to create a new work which will be displayed in the Garden Foyer for two years. A team of expert judges will include Lochlann Quinn, Chairman of the Hotel, Patrick Murphy, Director of RHA and Oonagh Young, Director Oonagh Young Gallery. Open to all professional artists, this competition is sure to attract entries from some of the most significant artists working today.

Peter MacCann, who has been General Manager of The Merrion, since the day it opened, said: “As dedicated supporters of art, our aim is to support living artists by sponsoring this prize honouring outstanding talent. We are inviting professional artists to enter this exciting new competition which will take place every two years. Our intention is to provide a platform for artists to bring their work to new audiences and to be seen alongside some of the great Irish artists of the last century. The Merrion collection includes significant artworks relevant to the history of Irish visual culture, so the ambition of this prize is to promote the importance of visual art being made today.”

Open to all professional artists, resident in Ireland, Northern Ireland and the UK, the hotel hopes that the competition will attract entries from some of the most significant artists working today.

For more details and to enter please visit the website, www.merrionhotel.com/blog/merrion-plinth