The Muswellbrook Art Prize has artists at its heart. Indeed, it was a group of artists in 1958 that lobbied for an acquisitive art prize as a means to develop a collection for the regional city, which would eventually be the catalyst for a permanent gallery.
That gallery has gone on to become a popular destination for both tourists and locals alike, contributing to the livability of this mining town in the Hunter Region of NSW.
Elissa Emerson, Director, Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre, tells ArtsHub: “Visitors are amazed at the size of the gallery, and that we have such a large value prize, and also it being a national prize with such high quality of works.
“It’s among the oldest and the richest regional prizes in Australia,” she adds. With $70,000 in prize winnings across three categories – Painting, Works on Paper and Ceramics – this prize is not one to be overlooked.
It proudly boasts its national lens – one that has been reflected in the winning artists of past years. Emerson says the finalists’ exhibition is typically kept smaller than a lot of other prizes, adding to the prestige of selection, alongside the Prize’s history and reputation.
“If you are a finalist, you really deserve to be, as we don’t have space for ‘filler’ works to pad out the exhibition,” she tells ArtsHub.
Insider tips on getting on the walls
Since the Prize’s inception, Muswellbrook City Council has been its primary sponsor, building a collection of over 200 works of art. Emerson says there has also been a tradition of other finalists’ works being purchased and gifted to the gallery as a continuing philanthropic gesture.
For a mining town – which 90% of the workforce at Prize sponsor Bengalla Mining Company call home – the commitment to support this community is strong, and moves beyond the Prize to caring for the gallery’s collection and supporting other gallery initiatives.
Emerson says that the Prize has always been open thematically, and that over the years the gallery has included many finalists’ works that explore globally topical subjects, such as the environment and climate change, especially in the wake of the bushfires that ravaged the Hunter area, as well as other contemporary topics such as First Nations’ impressions of Country.
To coincide with the Prize each year, the gallery also curates and exhibits acquired past works from the collection, fleshing out a pulse or zeitgeist of the day, and celebrating the depth of the gallery’s holdings thanks to this generous prize.
Winning artists that now make up the foundation of the Muswellbrook Shire Art Collection include creative luminaries such as David Aspden, Sydney Ball, Fred Williams, Peter Atkins, Dale Frank, Richard Larter, Marion Borgelt, Suzanne Archer and First Nations artist Alec Baker.
One area that has been slowly growing within the Prize – and offers a great opportunity for ceramic artists – is the $10,000 Prize for contemporary ceramic practice. “We are always looking for more ceramicists,” says Emerson, adding that it is a really exciting edge of contemporary practice in Australia today.
Past winners in this category include Greg Daly, Vipoo Srivilasa, Jane McKenzie, Janet Mansfield and Lyn Nash.
Emerson says that the Works on Paper section has traditionally been very competitive, adding to the prestige and calibre of the award.
It is also a wonderful opportunity for artists from the Upper Hunter region to be presented shoulder-to-shoulder in a broader picture of Australian art history and making now.
Need to know
It costs $45 to enter the painting section, and $25 for the works on paper and ceramics section of the Muswellbrook Art Prize, and the artwork needs to be a piece completed in the last 12 months. The Painting Award is a $50,000 acquisitive prize, while the Works on Paper and Ceramics Awards are also both acquisitive, and are each worth $10,000.
Entries open: 11 November 2024
Entries close: Midnight 7 February 2025
Finalists announced: 21 February 2025
Exhibition launch event and announcement of winners: 4-6pm, 29 March 2025
The three category winners are each selected by a respected Guest Judge, who is announced at the time of the finalists’ list. “We don’t want people subconsciously making for an adjudicator, to ensure they bring their best work forward for consideration,” concludes Emerson.
The finalists’ exhibition will remain on show at Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre from 27 March to 24 May 2025.
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