Silpathorn Award

The Silpathorn Award, Thai: รางวัลศิลปาธร, is an honour for living Thai contemporary artists presented annually by the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture of Thailand. The awards were established in 2004 to promote Thai contemporary artists who are considered to be in their mid-career and who have already made notable contributions to Thai fine arts and culture.

Artists are honored in the fields of visual arts, literature, music, film, performing arts, design and architecture.

Education and promotion of fine arts in the Kingdom of Thailand was under the auspices of the Department of Fine Arts of the Ministry of Palace Affairs. In 1943, the department's schools became Silpakorn University, founded by Silpa Bhirasri, an Italian sculptor who was named Corrado Feroci but became a Thai citizen during World War II and is considered the father of fine arts in Thailand.

Other offices promoting fine arts included the Office of the National Culture Commission and the Religious Affairs Department.

In 1985, the Office of the National Culture Commission established the Thailand National Artist designation, which is conferred on notable Thai artists as a lifetime achievement award.

The Office of Contemporary Art and Culture (OCAC), under the Ministry of Culture, was formed in 2001, and was tasked with supporting and promoting contemporary art and culture. While the National Artist programme has been generally aimed at veteran artists, especially those in the areas of Thai traditional arts, the OCAC recognised that younger artists needed support, promotion and recognition as well. In 2004, the Silpathorn Award was created, with honorees in the fields of visual art, literature, music, film and performing arts. In 2008, an award for the field of design was added.

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