2024 abbey mural prize

Created in 1932 through an endowed bequest in honor of illustrator and muralist Edwin Austin Abbey NA, the Abbey Mural Prize awards grants to support the creation and restoration of public murals in the United States. Since 1940, the National Academy of Design has awarded funds to hundreds of individuals or organizations who are building on a tradition of public murals as instruments of social activism, neighborhood revitalization, and community engagement.

Juried by artist and architect members of the National Academy, the Abbey Mural Prize supports projects with grants ranging from $10,000 to $40,000. Grants are awarded to create or restore public murals, especially those that promote accessibility and serve local audiences. While murals are conventionally defined as paintings or mosaics on a wall, the prize also encourages proposals that broaden and expand the definition of what a contemporary mural can be.

The 2024 Abbey Mural Prize awardees will be selected by a jury composed of National Academicians including Elana Herzog, Byron Kim, Joyce Kozloff, Arthur Simms, and Claire Weisz.

Selection Criteria

Jury members will evaluate applications based on:

• Conceptual strength or compelling justification of impact as outlined in the proposal.
• Applicants' and/or Project Leads’ demonstrated ability to execute a high-quality end result.
• Feasibility of the project scope within the budget outlined in the application and appropriate use of Abbey Mural Prize funds; the jury reserves the right to award grantees full or partial funding.
• Connection or relationship to the community that will be impacted by the project
• Projects must have an intended start date before June 30, 2025.