The Archibald Prize is judged by the Gallery Trustees. All entries received by the specified closing date and in accord with the terms of the prize, will be accepted, numbered and stored prior to judging.
One by one the works are then carried or wheeled in by the Gallery's installation crew to be viewed by the Trustees, who decide by consensus if the work is 'in', 'out' or 'maybe in'. It is uncommon for a work to be judged unanimously 'in' straight away. The judging is a democratic decision making process and may go through many stages.
The selected group of works for that year's Archibald are hung prior to the final judging. The Trustees now have time to deliberate over who they will choose as the winner. They will view the works several times before making their final decision. Because the winner must be determined by a majority vote, it is important that the Trustees are able to come to an agreement on a clear winner. On the rare occasion that they cannot, no prize is awarded, as happened in 1964 and 1980. In order to reach agreement the Trustees will often confer with each other regarding their choices.
Once a winner has been successfully decided the announcement is made at the exhibition press preview before an eagerly awaiting audience of media, public and artists. That same evening the exhibition will be opened officially, and will invariably provoke discussion among the wider audience who come to view it in their thousands.
As Peter Ross points out in Let's Face It, The History of the Archibald Prize*:
In the main the Trustees are not experts or art insiders. What they bring to the job are the eyes of the Everyman. J.F.Archibald wanted a democratic portrait prize - and that democracy, rough-hewn as it may be, is delivered every year at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
* Published by the Art Gallery of New South Wales, 1999
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