2021 Winners
Memoryscape (Garden with sunflowers and pencil pines), Leah Bullen
Armidale-based artist Leah Bullen has been announced as the winner of the 2021 Stanthorpe Art Prize. After a long delay due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Stanthorpe Art Prize winners were announced at a gala opening on Friday 19 February, and were opened by Philip Bacon AM.
Congratulations to Leah Bullen for winning first prize, with her watercolour, Memoryscape (Garden with sunflowers and pencil pines). Ms Bullen was awarded the $22,000 Best in Show as well as the $3,500 2D Painting/Drawing category.
Leah Bullen completed her Bachelor of Visual Arts (Honours) and a Doctor of Philosophy Creative Arts from the School of Art & Design at the Australian National University. In 2016, she was the winner of the Trustees’ Watercolour Prize as part of the Wynne Prize at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
Leah says, “I started this work of a garden before the hardest part of the drought. For me gardens and gardening have always been a place and an activity centred around family, the beauty of nature and tranquillity. Memoryscape has gained a new currency over this challenging summer. It is a landscape of personal memories, daydreams and nostalgia — a landscape of ecological grief.”
The judges, Simon Wright (QAGOMA) and Rachael Parsons (New England Regional Art Museum) agreed that the decision to award Leah first prize was the easiest choice in the awards. The judges highlighted Leah’s accomplishment in a tricky and unforgiving medium. Mr Wright said “I can smell that scene. It’s like comfort food.” Ms Parsons commented on the outstanding quality of the beauty, texture, depth and colour in the work, balanced with the conceptual and technical vigour.
See all 2021 finalists
See all works in the 2021 exhibition.
Please note that the print catalogue was designed to show 2D works from one side, and 3D works from the other side. Digitally, this means that the 2D works are shown first, and 3D works are shown from page 58.
2018 WINNERS
Congratulations to the winners of the 2018 Stanthorpe Art Prize!
$25,000 2018 Stanthorpe Art Prize Award – First Prize – “Clyde & Mary” by Jason McNamara
$5000 Significant 2D Award – “Casuarina Landscape with Coffee Van” by Sandra Guy
$5000 Significant 3D Award – “Artefacts” by Joanna Bone
$2000 Emerging Artist Award – “Earth Soldier” by Sian Medill
$1000 Volunteers Choice Award – “The Swimmer” by Mela Cooke
$1000 Local Artist Award – “Shibui #1” by Fay Roselt
$500 Youth Award – “Pretty in Pink” by Tess Dwyer
$500 Public Choice Award - “Brother” by Jess Le Clerc
Judges Commendation “Banksia Bouquet” by Peta Boyce
Judges Commendation “Why I’ll Never Take Acid Again”by Joy Ivill
2016 WINNERS
