{"id":379733,"date":"2026-04-03T09:29:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T09:29:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/379733\/"},"modified":"2026-04-03T09:29:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T09:29:07","slug":"earhart-art-prize-2026-celebrating-the-female-artists-of-ireland-launched-in-derry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/379733\/","title":{"rendered":"Earhart Art Prize 2026 celebrating the Female Artists of Ireland launched in Derry"},"content":{"rendered":"

PICTURED ABOVE: Judges, artists and partners gather at City of Derry Airport as Greater Shantallow Community Arts launches the Earhart Art Prize for Female Artists of Ireland 2026. Representing organisations across the region, left to right are: Ollie Green, Artistic Director at GSCA; Noelle McAlinden, Judge of the Amelia Earhart Award; Tommy Long, artist; Brian Hason, board member of GSCA; Nicole McElhinney, Amelia Earhart Legacy Association; Steve Frazer, Managing Director of City of Derry Airport; Sinead Hawkins, North West Regional College Community Education and Amelia Earhart Legacy Association; Gareth McAlinden, Project Director of GSCA; and Joe Campbell, artist. (Picture credit: Aodh\u00e1n Roberts)<\/p>\n

Greater Shantallow Community Arts, in partnership with City of Derry<\/a> Airport, has\u00a0 officially launched the Earhart Art Prize for Female Artists of Ireland 2026, a unique\u00a0 competition celebrating creativity, ambition, and the enduring legacy of aviation\u00a0 pioneer Amelia Earhart.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Opening March 30 2026, the competition invites female artists from across Ireland to\u00a0 submit original works inspired by themes of exploration, strength, and innovation – values embodied by Earhart herself.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The launch coincides with the 94th anniversary of Amelia Earhart\u2019s historic solo\u00a0 transatlantic flight, during which she journeyed nearly 2,000 miles in under 15 hours\u00a0 before landing in a farmer\u2019s field in Ballyarnett, Derry, on 21 May 1932. This\u00a0 extraordinary achievement cemented her place in history as the \u201cFirst Lady of\u00a0 Aviation\u201d and continues to inspire generations of women worldwide.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Earhart Prize, established in 2022, honours this legacy while providing a\u00a0 platform for contemporary female artists to showcase their talent. Now in its fourth\u00a0 year, the competition has grown significantly, attracting high-calibre submissions\u00a0 from across the country.<\/p>\n

READ NEXT: Derry community rallies behind Mayor McHugh for Foyle Challenge<\/a><\/p>\n

Entries for the 2026 competition open on 30 March, with the submission deadline set\u00a0 for 15 May at 12 noon. The Prize Giving Ceremony will take place on 21 May 2026.\u00a0 Full entry guidelines and the online submission portal are available at\u00a0 www.studio2derry.com\/earhartprize\u00a0<\/p>\n

Reflecting on the competition\u2019s growth, GSCA Project Director Gareth McAlinden\u00a0 said: \u201cThe Earhart Prize continues to go from strength to strength, attracting an\u00a0 exceptional standard of work each year. It celebrates not only artistic excellence but\u00a0 also the spirit of exploration and possibility that Amelia Earhart represented.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Steve Frazer, Director of City of Derry Airport, added: \u201cWe are incredibly proud to support the Earhart Prize once again in 2026. Amelia\u00a0 Earhart\u2019s historic landing here in Derry is a moment of global significance, and it is\u00a0 inspiring to see that legacy continue through the creativity and ambition of female\u00a0 artists today. This partnership reflects our ongoing commitment to supporting the arts\u00a0 and celebrating the unique cultural heritage of our region.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Judge Noelle McAlinden commented:\u00a0\u201cThe Earhart Prize is a powerful platform for female artists to express bold ideas and\u00a0 push creative boundaries. Each year, we are inspired by the imagination, technical\u00a0 excellence, and courage evident in the submissions. This competition not only\u00a0 honours Amelia Earhart\u2019s legacy but also champions the voices and visions of\u00a0 women shaping the future of the arts.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 2026 competition winner will receive a cash prize of \u00a31,932, alongside exhibition opportunities for shortlisted artists, offering valuable exposure and recognition.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The competition is open to female artists aged 18 and over who are living on the\u00a0 island of Ireland, with each artist invited to submit one original and previously\u00a0 unpublished artwork. All mediums are accepted, including digital formats, and entries\u00a0 must be submitted digitally as a JPG or PDF file no larger than 5MB. Entry is free of\u00a0 charge. Participants are encouraged to explore themes of female achievement,\u00a0 aspiration, courage, aviation and flight, reflecting Earhart\u2019s pioneering spirit.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The competition is made possible through the continued support of City of Derry\u00a0 Airport, whose partnership has been instrumental in its growth and success. A\u00a0 distinguished panel of judges will once again bring extensive artistic and cultural\u00a0 expertise to the 2026 selection process, ensuring a thoughtful and rigorous\u00a0 evaluation of submissions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Earhart Prize remains a powerful tribute to both historical achievement and\u00a0 contemporary creativity – encouraging women to push boundaries, take risks and\u00a0 express their vision.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"PICTURED ABOVE: Judges, artists and partners gather at City of Derry Airport as Greater Shantallow Community Arts launches…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":379734,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[169661,154801,26291,7726,169663,61,60,43,169662],"class_list":{"0":"post-379733","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ireland","8":"tag-amelia-earhart","9":"tag-city-of-derry-airport","10":"tag-county-derry","11":"tag-derry","12":"tag-greater-shantallow-community-arts","13":"tag-ie","14":"tag-ireland","15":"tag-news","16":"tag-shantallow"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/379733","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=379733"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/379733\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/379734"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=379733"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=379733"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=379733"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}