New awards recognising “excellence in sacred architecture and the allied arts” will be presented this autumn by the Catholic Art Institute.

The Bernini Awards, named after the artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini, will honour “outstanding achievement in the creation, restoration, and support of Catholic sacred spaces and works of art”, according to a July 15 press release from the Catholic Art Institute.

“Throughout history, the Church has called forth artists, architects, patrons, and stewards to create works that reflect divine order, theological truth, and the dignity of the human person,” the organisation’s website states. “The Bernini Awards seek to recognize those who continue this sacred vocation in our own time.”

Erik Bootsma, an architect based in Richmond, Virginia, is one of the jurors for the Bernini Awards.

Speaking to the Catholic Herald, Bootsma said that “until now, there has been no award to specifically honor traditional, beautiful, and authentically faithful Catholic art and architecture”.

Sacred art and architecture, he said, are “a growing and vibrant part of the Catholic world today”.

“This program is a fantastic continuation of the tireless efforts of the Catholic Art Institute to promote beautiful and faithful sacred art, and I am thrilled to be a part of it as a juror for the Bernini Awards,” he said.

Awards will be presented in the following categories: ecclesiastical architecture, restoration, sacred art, artisanship and craftsmanship, interior design, landscape design, churches and ecclesiastical buildings, student work, patronage and stewardship.

Entries must be submitted by August 5. Winners will be announced on August 20, with the awards presented on September 19 at the Catholic Art Institute’s annual conference.

‍