11 June 2026
"It is a lovely way to remember a creative mind that impacted so many, with an award that supports students like me in our creative practice"
Dr Fiona Larkin and Megan Hart
A University of Sunderland artist’s work have been recognised by a prize created in honour of an influential artist who worked and taught in the north-east.
The Lizzie Rowe Prize, which honours the prize’s namesake, was set up by her brother Ben Rowe after her death in 2023 to ensure her legacy had a continued impact in supporting graduates.
After moving to the north-east, Lizzie was a lecturer in Fine Art at Newcastle Polytechnic during the 1980s, and her work has been featured in galleries and spaces across the region, including the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art, The Abject Gallery in Sunderland and Newcastle Theatre Royal.
Her work explores issues around gender and identity, reflecting her life as a trans woman and continues to offer a powerful legacy rooted in Lizzie’s lived experience.
This year, Megan Hart, a final year Fine Art student at the University, won the prize for their work, which is on display at this year’s Degree Shows.
Megan said: “It means the world to me to have won the Lizzie Rowe Prize; it is a lovely way to remember a creative mind that impacted so many, with an award that supports students like me in our creative practice and further involvement in the art world.
“Rowe’s paintings have this beautiful, ethereal energy to them and I adore the way light is captured on skin and clothes through her mark making and colour palette. As an artist who struggles with my identity and sexuality, Rowe’s paintings feel like a safe place where you can see her development as a human flourish.”
Megan has created a series of colourful impressionist paintings inspired by some of their favourite video games. Their work is informed by their experience living with Nystagmus - a condition that causes rapid, repetitive and uncontrollable eye movements.
Megan said: “I was nervous thinking about post-graduation and jumping straight into the professional art world but receiving the Lizzie Rowe Prize has given me something to be incredibly proud of on top of graduating at the University and that encourages me to pursue becoming an Art Therapist even more.
“I am forever grateful and this prize proves to me that I can become a phenomenal artist like Lizzie Rowe with support from my peers. Thank you to Ben Rowe who has continued this legacy and has made sure Rowe’s work shines.”
Megan received the award during the opening evening of the Degree Shows 2026 in the Priestman Building on the University’s City Campus (5 June).
Dr Fiona Larkin, Senior Lecturer in Fine Art at the University, said: “Our recipient this year, Megan Hart, is a young painter from Northern Ireland whose exceptional passion and creativity demonstrate a similarly uncompromising attitude.
“Their use of colour is shaped in part by their love of gaming, but also by an acute awareness that they are gradually losing their sight, lending their work an added urgency and poignancy. Megan has been a hugely positive presence in the studios and we are delighted they have been recognised for their work.”
The opening of the Degree Shows 2026 also saw two other students recognised for their work by The Auxiliary. Fine Art students Bog Balenger and Kerry Ann Chappell won the New Graduate Awards among eight other students from across the region.
The award aims to bridge the gap between study and becoming a practising artist, fostering talent in the north east through studio residencies, funding and the chance to exhibit their work at Middlesbrough Art Week.
If you are interested in studying Fine Art at the University of Sunderland, find out more here.