Launching in 2021, the inaugural annual National Capital Art Prize is the first Australia-wide competition for paintings of any subject. The Prize has been established to support and showcase Australian artists and celebrate their skill and diversity. With a generous prize pool of more than $45,000, this competition aims to ignite the passion and courage of artists across the country, many of whom lost the opportunity to display and sell their work during 2020 with its devastating impact on the arts sector.
The National Capital Art Prize will be held annually with Australian citizens or permanent residents of Australia over 18 years of age invited to submit up to four paintings in any of the four categories.
• Open Prize valued at $15,000
• First Nations Prize for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists valued at $15,000
• Landscape Prize valued at $5,000
• Student Prize valued at $2,500
There will be two additional awards – the People’s Choice Award valued at $2,500 and an Art Scholarship valued at $5,000. In 2021, the Art Scholarship is in partnership with the Australian National University (ANU) and available for current ANU students.
In addition to cash prizes, finalists will have their work on public display during the judging process. Prize winners in the Open, First Nations and Landscape categories also receive the opportunity for a solo or joint exhibition of their works following the competition.
