The Useful & Beautiful Art Prize

The Useful and Beautiful Art Prize is a new award established by the William Morris Society to celebrate and support emerging artists, designers, and craftspeople whose work reflects the ideas and ideals of William Morris. The Prize is guided by Morris’s belief that art is both Useful and Beautiful, inseparable from everyday life, work, and nature.

Entry opens 15th July 2026 and closes 30th September 2026 at midnight. For more details on the requirements and how to apply please click here.

Meet the Judges

Gabriella Esser

Gabriella has been Director of the William Morris Society since February 2025. She previously spent seven years managing the Museum at The Charterhouse and has also worked at the National Portrait Gallery and the British Museum, supporting their Directors. Gabriella read Ancient History at the University of St Andrews and completed a Masters in Classical Art at Kings College London.

Edward Bulmer

Edward Bulmer is an architectural historian, interior designer and founder of Edward Bulmer Natural Paint. Renowned for his expertise in historic interiors and colour, he has spent over four decades researching, restoring and reimagining buildings of every period. A passionate advocate for beauty, craftsmanship and sustainability, Edward pioneered a range of natural paints made from plant-based binders and earth and mineral pigments. His work is rooted in the belief that colour should enrich both our homes and the natural world.

Jeremy Deller

Jeremy Deller is an artist. He often works outside galleries in the public realm and sometimes makes films. In 2014 he curated Love is Enough and exhibition of the work of WM and Andy Warhol. Last year he bought William Morris back to life as part of a procession down Whitehall for the Triumph of Art party. He won the Turner Prize in 2004, and represented the UK at the Venice Biennale in 2013 which included a wall painting of a giant William Morris throwing Roman Abramovich’s yacht in the Lagoon.

Dr. Suzane Fagence Cooper

Dr. Suzanne Fagence Cooper is a writer, broadcaster and curator with expertise in 19th and 20th century British art and culture. She began her career in the V&A Museum, researching the Victorian collections, and is now in demand as historical consultant for TV and film. She is an invited lecturer for the Arts Society and Cunard voyages. Suzanne is an honorary visiting Research Fellow at the University of York.

Suzanne was Research Curator for Ruskin, Turner & the Storm Cloud (York Art Gallery, 2019). She has written To See Clearly: Why Ruskin Matters, and At Home with Jane and William Morris. She curated the exhibition, ‘The Beauty of the Earth: May, Jane & William Morris’ for The Arc, Winchester (2025-6). Her new book, A Crafted Life: How William Morris makes things better will be published in Spring 2027.

Please fill out the form below to submit your application to the Art Prize. Any questions or queries can be addressed to Olivia Johnson Hyland at events@williammorrissociety.org