Art Awards and Exhibition

This page provides information about the City of Stirling's art awards which are held biennially.

Blink Photography Awards 2022

From 2022 the City will no longer be presenting a biennial Photography Award.

The biennial Art Awards which are next scheduled for October 2023.

Subscribe to receive the City’s Arts and Events eNews to stay informed.

For more information please email arts@stirling.wa.gov.au.

Art Awards and Exhibition 2021

The City of Stirling biennial Art Awards and Exhibition returned from the 29 October - 7 November 2021, with an extraordinary collection of new works from established and emerging Western Australian artists.

This extensive display of the 165 shortlisted entries for this year’s Art Awards included painted, sculptural, drawn, mixed media and digital works - all of which were available for sale to the public. A total of 35 works were sold during the exhibition, with local artists receiving 100% of their advertised sale price. 

Judges Sandra Murray (Curator - Independent), Dr Paul Uhlmann (Coordinator of Visual Arts in the School of Arts and Humanities, Edith Cowan University) and Lee Kinsella (Curator - Cruthers Collection, Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery) awarded 7 prizes from the $15,000+ prize pool, including the $7,500 Acquisitive Prize - see details of award winners below.

Visitors to the exhibition voted Daniel Bronkhorst as the winner of the Westfield People’s Choice Award for his pencil drawing on paper ‘Blue Rhino’, closely followed by the 2019 Acquisitive Award winner Damien Goerke’s graphite drawing ‘Are You Going To Colour It In?’, and Jenny Sheperdson for her painting ‘Travel Bug’.

Revisit the 2021 exhibition by taking the virtual tour below. 

Art Awards and Exhibition 2021 virtual tour
Click here

Public Program

Open Studio  

The inaugural Open Studio showcased City of Stirling shortlisted Artists demonstrating their art practice to the local community in a relaxed open studio setting. The Open Studio operated from Friday 29 October - Monday 1 November with artists in attendance at varying times between 11.00 - 4.00pm daily.

Tactile Tours guided by DADAA 

Community members living with disability and their carers were invited to participate in a free Tactile Tour of a range of art pieces in the Art Awards and Exhibition 2021. The tours were led by experienced DADAA guides on Wednesday 3 November at 10:15am and 11:30. 

Dardy Digital with Rhy Paddick (youth workshop)

Rhys Paddick, Aboriginal Educator and Digital Artist, shared his kaatijin (knowledge) on how he imagines, creates, produces and delivers his art. Graphic recording, logo design, commission work and meme architecture are all elements of Rhys’ skill set. Attendees aged between 15- 25 learnt how to step into our creative side - digitally.

Local Artist Networking Event including Curator Talk

Local City of Stirling artists attend an inaugural free networking event with floor talk from curator Kelly Price, discussing her inspiring journey in crafting our spectacular new exhibition and providing a deeper insight into some of the exhibiting artists and their work, on Wednesday 3 November from 6:00pm - 8:00pm. 

This event also featured special guest speaker Charlotte King, Socials Manager from Ignite Communication delivering a few 'tips and tricks' on how to build an amazing on-line presence.

Award winners and prizes

Congratulations to all the award winners for the 2021 Art Awards and Exhibition. Prizes were awarded for outstanding works from a $15,000 prize pool, with a major Acquisitive Award of $7,500.

AwardPrizeArtistTitleMedium
Acquisitive Award$7,500 Annette Peterson Shotgun Through Scarborough Digital video
Highly Commended Second Place Award $2,500 Damien Goerke Are You Going To Colour It In? Graphite on paper
Highly Commended Third Place Award $1,500 Jennifer CochraneSelf-portrait with Jarrah Railway SleeperSculpture
New 50th Anniversary ‘Local Visions’ Award$1,000 Richard AitkenSwoopSculpture
New 50th Anniversary ‘Local Visions’ Highly Commended-Shenade UnicombHairy Spinifex at PeasholmDigital photograph
Rotary Club of Karrinyup Local Artist Award$1,000 Ben BrennanBatty Bog RoadAcrylic and aerosol on canvas
Jacksons Drawing Suppliers Young Artist Award - Joint Winner$500 Lachlan Scotford Illuminate Pencil on paper
Jacksons Drawing Suppliers  Young Artist Award -Joint Winner $500 Nikki Singh Hazy Graphite and Oil on paper
Jacksons Drawing Suppliers Young Artist Award Highly Commended -Brindy Donovan Immanence 

Acrylic on board

Westfield Innaloo People’s Choice Award $500Daniel BronkhurstBlue RhinoPencil on paper

What's new

  • Art Awards Exhibition will operate for 10 days
  • The Acquisitive Award is now $7,500
  • The new 50th Anniversary ‘Local Visions’ Award - featuring people or places within the City of Stirling’s boundaries
  • Entry fees (minus the Eventbrite booking fee) will be refunded for unsuccessful submissions not shortlisted for the Art Awards and Exhibition 2021
  • The commission for artwork sales has been removed; artists will receive 100% of their advertised sale price
  • Extra public programming events and workshops added
  • Virtual tour of the 2021 exhibition, showcasing all artworks on the City's website. 

Sign-up to the City’s monthly Arts and Events Newsletter here to receive updates.

For further information, please email art@stirling.wa.gov.au.

Please note, entries open from 1 - 24 September, not August as previously advised via the July Stirling Scene e-newsletter. The City apologises for any inconvenience and we encourage you to check this page for updates.

FAQs

  • What is the City of Stirling Art Awards 2021?
    The City of Stirling Art Awards 2021 will showcase Western Australian artists working in a variety of mediums from painting, sculpture, mixed media/drawing and digital. 165 shortlisted artworks will be presented for the public in a collective exhibition and prizes are awarded by a panel of expert judges.
  • When and where does the exhibition take place?
    The Art Awards and Exhibition 2021 will be hosted at the City of Stirling Reception Hall, 25 Cedric Street, daily 10am- 4pm, from Friday 29 October - Sunday 7 November 2021.
  • How do I enter as an artist?
    Entries are now closed (1st September – 24th September 2021).
  • Will food or beverages be available at the exhibition?
    No - however there is a café located a 2 minute walk from the exhibition space and we encourage visitors to support local.
  • Will the exhibited artworks be available for sale?
    Yes – all artworks included in the exhibition will be available for sale, with the exception of the Acquisitive Award winner which is automatically acquired into the City of Stirling art collection.
  • Does the City charge a commission of exhibition sales?
    Normally yes – however this year the sales commission previously charged by the City has been removed; artists will receive 100% of their advertised sale price.
  • When is the Awards Presentation?
    The Awards Presentation will be held on Thursday 28 October 2021, however this event is invitation only for artists and their guests.

Key dates

EventDate
Shortlisted artists notifiedFriday, 8 October 
Artwork delivery date

Saturday, 23 October (9.00am-12.00pm)

Awards presentationThursday, 28 October 
Exhibition open to publicFriday, 29 October to Sunday, 7 November (10:00am - 4:00 daily)
Open StudioFriday, 29 October to Monday, 1 November. 
Tactile TourWednesday, 3 November
Local Artist Networking Event including Curator TalkWednesday, 3 November
Dardy Digital with Rhys Paddick (youth event)Saturday, 6 November  
Artwork collectionSunday, 7 November 
People’s Choice winner announced 

Monday, 8 November  

Judging Panel

Sandra Murray

Sandra is an independent art curator, consultant and arts mentor; clients include the Royal Agricultural Society of WA and Bankwest. She has a depth of experience in working with artists, including directing and curating for art and museum institutions in WA and NSW and has worked in the public, corporate, not-for-profit, and private sectors. Sandra has project managed and curated over 60 art and museum exhibitions, including Finders Keepers: Nalda Searles as part of the Indian Ocean Craft Triennial at Mundaring Arts Centre in 2021. She holds a particular passion for contemporary West Australian art and is the Artistic Director and Lead Curator for Sculpture at Bathers 2022 in Fremantle. She holds a BA Honours in Art History and Theory, and a Master of Philosophy.

Dr Paul Uhlmann 

Paul Uhlmann is coordinator of Visual Arts in the School of Arts and Humanities, Edith Cowan University in Perth and is a practicing artist who works in painting, printmaking and artists’ books. He is interested in philosophies of process and impermanence. He studied art in Australia, was the recipient of a DAAD scholarship to study in Germany (1986-87), an Australia Council Studio Residency grant to study frescos in Italy (1994), and an Anne and Gordon International Samstag Visual Arts Scholarship to study in the Netherlands (1994-95). 

Lee Kinsella

Lee Kinsella is the Curator of Australia’s largest collection of women’s art, the Cruthers Collection, held at Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery, University of Western Australia. She is also responsible for special exhibitions and projects. Previous positions include roles at the Art Gallery of WA, the National Film and Sound Archive, and the Australian War Memorial. 

Past Art Award winners

Previous SlideNext Slide
  • Attendees at the Exhibition’s opening nightAttendees at the Exhibition’s opening night
  • Attendees at the Exhibition’s opening nightAttendees at the Exhibition’s opening night
  • Attendees at the Exhibition’s opening nightAttendees at the Exhibition’s opening night
  • Acquisitive Award Winner Annette Peterson with Mayor Mark IrwinAcquisitive Award Winner Annette Peterson with Mayor Mark Irwin
  • Artists attending the networking session and curator talkArtists attending the networking session and curator talk

Our local supporters

  • Barrett Exhibition Group - Barrett Exhibition Group is an award-winning exhibition & signage company, based in Osborne Park, Perth. It’s owned by the Barrett family who’ve been designing & manufacturing displays for conventions and trade shows since 1955. Barrett’s have been involved and supported of the Art Awards and Exhibition since 2011.
  • Rotary Club of Karrinyup - The Rotary Club of Karrinyup was chartered in 1974 and works in and with the local community to make it a more welcoming place. Rotary Club of Karrinyup have supported the Art Awards and Exhibition since 2013 and are proud sponsors of the Local Artist Award.
  • Westfield Innaloo - Westfield Innaloo - your one-stop hub for shopping, fun & relaxation. Shop our range of fashion, entertainment, dining & wellbeing or check out great events. Westfield Innaloo have supported the Art Awards and Exhibition since 2017 and are sponsors of the People’s Choice Award
  • Jacksons Drawing Supplies – Jacksons Drawing Supplies believe that arts and crafts can make life so much more fun! Whether it’s a painter looking for the best brushes, an illustrator looking for coloured pencils or even someone who wants to get into pottery, Jacksons Drawing Supplies Pty Ltd has the art supplies needed. Jacksons offer a massive variety of supplies for nearly every kind of art medium you can imagine. Jacksons Drawing supplies are proud sponsors of the Young Artist Award.
‘HK Bathers’ Jesse Pretorius

Blink Photography Awards 2020

Held every two years, the Blink Photography Awards offer a stunning showcase for innovative and original new works from Australian amateur photographers. Congratulations to our seven award winners for 2020:

  • Best Photograph 2020 - Jesse Pretorius with ‘HK Bathers’
  • Highly Commended: People Category - Emilio Cresciani with ‘Entrapped’
  • Highly Commended: Places Category - Amanda Manning with ‘Australia within Australia’
  • Highly Commended: Altered Category - Mitchell Page with ‘Pride’
  • Highly Commended: Open Category - Phillip Elliot with ‘Gulp’
  • Winner City of Stirling Resident Award - Alan Rodgers with ‘Safe to Dance’
  • Best Photograph by a Young Entrant - Annabelle Watling with ‘Remorse’
  • People’s Choice Award - Cody Nahirny with ‘Inspired by Platon’.

For more information including queries regarding accessibility and alternative formats, please contact the Arts Project Officer on (08) 9205 8555 or email photo@stirling.wa.gov.au.