The inaugural IMPART Art Prize was established in 2017 by Art Outreach Singapore to support the professional development of emerging artists and curators in Singapore, providing impactful career-building opportunities while building awareness and appreciation of local artistic talent.

The first edition recognised three recipients: Kamiliah Bahdar as the IMPART Curator Award winner, and Khairullah Rahim and Justin Lim as the IMPART Visual Artist Award winners. To celebrate the inaugural prize, Art Outreach collaborated with Bynd Artisan to co-create an exclusive collection of bag charms featuring illustrations by all three winners, launched during the IMPART Collectors' Show at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre Gallery during Singapore Art Week 2017, with all proceeds directed to Art Outreach's educational programmes and the IMPART Awards.

Justin Lim's contribution demonstrated meticulous technical precision; a monochromatic sketch of an orchid bloom whose delicate, hauntingly spare strokes spoke to themes of impermanence and the fragility of life. Khairullah Rahim's works offered a vivid contrast, rendered in rich greens and warm tones with illustrations of a banana tree drawn from his series 'Smells like Sweet Cologne' and 'Oh Dear I', evoking nostalgia, longing and the memory of place.

As organiser and founding institution of the IMPART Art Prize, Art Outreach established the award as a cornerstone of its commitment to nurturing Singapore's next generation of visual arts talent; creating meaningful platforms for emerging practitioners to gain visibility, develop their practice and connect with broader audiences beyond the art world. The prize reflects Art Outreach's role as an arts intermediary dedicated to sustaining a vibrant and equitable local art ecosystem.