University of Oxford - Ashmolean Museum Vivien Leigh Prize

What you get

You will win a one-off prize of about 470 EUR (400 GBP) for a two-dimensional artwork on paper. Your winning artwork will also be added to the collection of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford and will therefore be on display in a public museum alongside older and contemporary art. The prize is funded by the Ashmolean Museum’s Vivien Leigh Fund and administered by the Ruskin School of Art, the Faculty of Fine Art at the University of Oxford.

Who can apply

• Where you study: You are currently a student at the University of Oxford.
• Level: You are studying for a Bachelor’s degree (BFA) or a Master’s degree (e.g. MFA).
• Field: Visual arts. You are submitting a two-dimensional artwork on paper.
• Size limit: The artwork must not be larger than 55 x 40 cm. If your winning artwork is larger than this, please provide the museum with a smaller artwork on paper instead.
• Gift condition: You agree to donate the winning entry to the Ashmolean Museum.
• Nationality: Any nationality can apply.
• Age: No age limit.

How to apply

You should submit your work to the Ruskin School of Art. It may also be selected from the works displayed as part of the school’s annual final exhibition. The deadline for submissions is 12:00 on the Friday of the seventh week of the Trinity Term, i.e. early to mid-June (13 June in 2025). There is no interview. The Curator of Western Art at the Ashmolean will select the winning piece, but only if a submitted work is of a sufficiently high standard.

How realistic are your chances?

This prize is highly exclusive: only art students from Oxford are eligible to enter, and a museum curator selects a single winning piece. The pool of entrants is small, but the bar is set high, as the work must be of a standard high enough to be included in a museum collection. If you produce compelling work on paper and apply early in the June cycle, your chances are quite good. Please note that the curator may decide not to award the prize if no entry meets the requirements.