Entries are now invited for the 2020 Mosman Art Prize

Entries are now open for the 2020 Mosman Art Prize. The annual exhibition will take place 26 August– 4 October at Mosman Art Gallery, NSW.

The Mosman Art Prize is the longest running and most prestigious municipal art prize in Australia. Winning entries form the basis of the Mosman Art Collection, a valuable and historic collection that surveys Australian painting since 1947.

The Mosman Art Prize is an acquisitive award of $50,000 sponsored by Mosman Council. Previous winners form a roll call of Australian art luminaries; Grace Cossington Smith, Nancy Borlase, Lloyd Rees, Guy Warren, Elwyn Lynn, Margo Lewers, Peter Laverty, Jenny Sages, Noel McKenna, Fan Dongwang, Elisabeth Cummings, Tim Johnson, Adam Cullen, Jasper Knight, Guan Wei and Michael Zavros. Margaret Olley was the inaugural winner in 1947. Austinmer-based artist Paul Kelleher was awarded the Mosman Art Prize in 2019.

The 2020 Mosman Art Prize will be judged by Alexie Glass-Kantor, Executive Director of Artspace, Sydney and the curator of the Australian Pavilion at the 59th International Art Exhibition of la Biennale di Venezia. Past adjudicators include notable Australian art figures such as Margaret Preston, John Olsen, Tim Storrier, Jenny Sages, Edmund Capon, Margaret Olley and John McDonald.

Commenting on the Prize, Glass-Kantor says; “Over more than seventy years the Mosman Art Prize has assumed a reputation as a key exhibition and award celebrating the breadth and dynamism of Australian painting. In a moment of profound social and cultural transformation it is absolutely timely that this esteemed prize will support the opportunity for audiences to encounter a diverse range of artistic approaches and offer insight into how artists are working to expand and reimagine contemporary painting. I’m honoured to be judging the 2020 edition of the Mosman Art Prize and welcome the invitation to find connection with Australia’s remarkable and dedicated painting community.”

Each year over 500 entries are received in one day at the Mosman Art Gallery. The artworks are then selected for a finalist exhibition that extends across the entire top two levels of the Gallery for over six weeks.

The Mosman Art Prize offers four further art awards in addition to the acquisitive major prize.

Other Awards:

Thanks to the generous support of Gillian and the late Brian Jones, $6,000 is available through the Margaret Olley Commendation Award. The Allan Gamble Award, in honour of architect, artist, former Mosman Councillor and founder of the Mosman Art Prize, Allan Gamble, will be awarded to the best painting which explores the theme of ‘the built environment’. This award is valued at $3,000 and is supported by Christine and the late Hugh Fraser. Awarded to an artist under the age of 35 years, the Guy Warren Emerging Artists’ Award (valued at $2,000) is supported by Fourth Village Providore, and the Viewers’ Choice Award is supported by the Mosman Art Society and is valued at $1,000.

Important Dates:

• Monday 10 August – Receiving Day for artworks (8.00am – 7.00pm)
• Friday 14 August – Finalists (selected for exhibition) announced
• Tuesday 25 August – Prize announcements and official opening
• Wednesday 26 August – Exhibition opens to the public (daily, 10.00am – 5.00pm)