HomeRMSBA Parkinson Award

The Sydney Parkinson Award

The Sydney Parkinson Award is given annually by the RMSBA to a member whose submitted artwork most closely expresses the spirit and style of Sydney Parkinson in pursuit of botanical exploration and illustration.

Sidney Parkinson was the botanical artist on board Captain James Cook’s first voyage of discovery, the Endeavor. Parkinson documented plants along the Atlantic coast of South America and on islands in the South Pacific, New Zealand, and Australia. He completed 280 finished, botanically accurate paintings and over 900 sketches and drawings. He died at sea January 26, 1771. Today he is remembered as one of the great botanical artists, in large part due to the quality of the work he produced in harrowing conditions. For additional information refer to the Sydney Parkinson resources below.

The award was originated in 2011 by Mike Huseby, a graduate of the SBAI program, and Dr. Mervi Hjelmroos-Koski, who at the time was the director of SBAI. They developed the idea for the award after visiting the Natural History Museum in London with other members of the illustration program to view some of the surviving material from the Endeavor voyage. After that visit, Mike began researching the artist, and soon developed a plan to create the award. Along with the cash prize that he sponsors every year, he also had the medals made, with a likeness of Parkinson on one side and an engraving of Ficus parkinsonii on the other.

Self-portrait by Sydney Parkinson - Natural History Museum.

Call-for-Entry Prospectus

Description

In the spirit of Sydney Parkinson, artist, naturalist and explorer, submissions to the call should enlighten, even inspire, the viewer who may have little or no familiarity with the subject. Key attributes of his work include sharp and clear contours defining the botanical structure and detail and accurate use of color application.

Call for entry Eligibility and requirements

Open to all current RMSBA members
Two-dimensional original artwork in any medium, excluding photographic and digital artwork
Each artist may submit up to two works created within the last three years
Artwork must not have been submitted to a previous RMSBA exhibition
Subject must be a botanical specimen
Confirmation of submittal fee payment (see below)

evaluation criteria

Entries should depict the plant's habit (characteristic overall shape, size, and branching pattern) and accurately describe distinguishing characteristics of the plant and its parts. The artwork may show all or part of the plant. The artwork should fall within the definitions of scientific and traditional botanical illustration practice. Contemporary or artistic representations will not be considered.

Botanical accuracy

Portray plant characteristics to distinguish it from other species
Plant and plant parts must be accurately depicted for the selected specimen
Accurate scale, proportion, and color (if used)
If more than one plant is depicted, clearly show similarities and differences

Technical merit

Accurate scale bars for scientific illustration
Consistent light source from the upper left or right
Skillful use of the chosen medium

Composition

Balanced presentation, aesthetically pleasing composition with careful placement of the primary subject
Clean substrate
Crisp, legible lettering, if used

Submission Procedure

For each submission, attach your image to an email addressed to RMSBArtists@gmail.com. Include the following information in the email: Artist name, artist email address, subject scientific name(s), subject common name(s), price or NFS. Please also provide a description of how your subject and artwork align with the exploration, discovery, and style of Sydney Parkinson.

Attach the digital file in JPEG format that is 300 DPI and 8 inches high. Title the file with your last name and artwork title (for example, Jones_Populus tremuloides.jpg). The framed size of the work should not exceed 30 inches by 30 inches.

Submittal Fee

$25 for the first entry, $10 for the second entry
Once you make your submission, you will receive an invoice from our treasurer, Jean Starr. You will have the option to send her a check or pay by credit or debit card as outlined in the invoice.

jurying

The RMSBA Exhibits Committee will be responsible for organizing the jury process. Members of the jury will evaluate the technical, scientific, and artistic merits of the works based on the criteria.

Timetable

Open for entry: September 18, 2026

Deadline for submission: February 12, 2027

Notification deadline: February 26, 2027

Delivery of accepted artwork: April 25, 2027, at the RMSBA general membership meeting. For artists unable to deliver the work to the meeting, special arrangements can be made to ship matted, unframed artwork to RMSBA.

Presentation of Artwork

The award-winning artwork and other selected artwork will be displayed on the Sydney Parkinson page of the RMSBA website.The works will be displayed in an exhibition at a date and location to be determined.

2026 Sydney Parkinson Award Submissions

At right are the works accepted for submission by the 2026 jury panel. Click on any image to view and navigate between larger versions of the images.

Sydney Parkinson Resources

Banks, J. (1962). The Endeavour Journal of Joseph Banks, 1768-1771 (J. C. Beaglehole, Ed.). Trustees of the Public Library of New South Wales in association with Angus and Robertson. [Banks journal. No drawings.]*
WorldCat bibliographic record.
Banks, J., Mabberley, D. J., Gooding, M., & Studholme, J. (2017). Joseph Banks’ Florilegium: Botanical Treasures from Cook’s First Voyage. Thames & Hudson.
WorldCat, Helen Fowler Library DBG bibliographic records.
Captain Cook’s Voyages of Exploration. State Library of NSW. https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/captain-cooks-voyages-exploration.
Carr, D. J. (1983). Sydney Parkinson: Artist of Cook’s Endeavour Voyage. British Museum (Natural History): University of Hawaii Press. [Comprehensive, many color plates vetted by the British Museum of Natural History.]*
WorldCat, Helen Fowler Library DBG bibliographic records; Internet Archiv e full text (free account needed to Borrow).
Parkinson, S., Fothergill, J., Parkinson, S., Longmate, B., Mazell, P., Middiman, S., Chambars, T., Newton, J., Godfrey, R. B., Darling, W., Dilly, C., & Phillips, J. (1784). A Journal of a Voyage to the South Seas, in His Majesty’s Ship The Endeavor (J. C. Lettsom, Ed.). Printed for Charles Dilly in the Poultry, and James Phillips in George-Yard, Lombard-Street.
WorldCat bibliographic record; Internet Archive full text (free account needed to Borrow).
Walker, L., & Frame, W. (2018). James Cook: The Voyages. MQUP. [Some drawings of native population and sketch book drawings, chart]*
WorldCat bibliographic record.

*Notes from Mike Huseby, Sydney Parkinson Award benefactor.

Style and Substance
When submitting botanical artwork for the Sydney Parkinson award, or any juried exhibition or competition, it's important to offer work that matches the type or category described in the call for entries - whether that's illustration, scientific, or purely aesthetic. The varieties of botanical art form a continuum even though we often label them as discrete categories. Mary Crabtree has prepared this brief slideshow describing the main features of the different types of botanical art to help understand where your work fits and what might be required for a specific call.