In The Frame | September 2026

The Sunshine Coast National Art Prize brings together 40 exceptional contemporary artworks from across Australia, each offering a unique perspective, story or conversation.

With the exhibition continuing until Sunday 11 October, there is still plenty of time to visit and explore this year's finalists. However, one deadline is approaching fast. Voting for the People's Choice Award closes this Sunday 13 September at midnight.

To celebrate the incredible diversity of this year's exhibition, we asked members of the Caloundra Regional Gallery team a simple question: Which artwork has resonated with you most?

The answers reveal a fascinating mix of personal connections, artistic appreciation and thought-provoking reflections. Here are the works our team keeps coming back to.

Julie's Pick: Random Conversations Between Two Lovers by Marlies Oakley

"Random Conversations Between Two Lovers drew me in through the non-reflective glass to the detail of the individual collages in each of the 1,064 bottle-cap elements that make up the work.

I could spend hours reading through the dialogue and reflecting on the number of hours it must have taken to create this unique and playful work.

And don't miss the little surprise hidden in the bottom right-hand corner. You'll need to come into the Gallery to find that."

Peta's Pick: Careful Creature by Grace Herrmann, Andrew Kimberly and Rachel Kimberley

"This year I found myself drawn to works that have a strong connection between process and story.

Careful Creature captivated me with its beautiful blend of handmade paper forms and digital animation, creating a moving reflection on perseverance, uncertainty and the creative journey. I love the contrast between the fragile butterfly and the overwhelming storm, yet the butterfly remains inspirationally strong and determined in the face of it."

Stu's Pick: Byrril Creek by David Sparks

"This year, as always, it is incredibly hard to pick a favourite among the 40 works hanging in the Gallery.

There is just so much talent finding interesting ways to tell stories using different techniques and mediums. As a watercolour artist myself, I always find myself gravitating towards the watercolours that make the finalist exhibition. This year, there was only one.

David Sparks' Byrri Creek immediately captured my attention. The simplicity of this monochromatic work is balanced by a deep technical complexity that creates an incredible sense of recession through the landscape. Your eye travels from the reflections in the water through to the distant gums as the forest scene unfolds.

The dreamlike sepia palette evokes the memory of places once loved and visited. Simple on the surface, but packed with storytelling and skill. Long live the watercolour landscape."

Bridget's Pick: A Sign of the Times by Kate Just

"I find myself continually drawn back to A Sign of the Times.

It has sparked some of the most visceral conversations on the Gallery floor and, for me, that makes it impossible to ignore. It challenges me to unpack what the artist is trying to say and to consider how those ideas continue to resonate today.

I think about its lineage as a piece of political text, its place in the current moment and how much has changed since those words first entered public conversation.

It's a reminder that art isn't always supposed to please us. Sometimes it challenges us, unsettles us and encourages us to dig deeper. Art marks a moment in time, and we're incredibly fortunate to have artists who help us step outside ourselves and see the world differently."

Lyndon's Pick: KOMA by Jessica DiCosta

"The process of collectively experiencing all forty finalists in this year’s Sunshine Coast National Art Prize is undefinably special. The variety of subject matter, styles, modes and execution combine to form a powerful impression of active creative intention and inspire me with enriched hope. As we see aspects of human expression and creativity affected by burgeoning technologies and what may be described as the interference of the artificial, I am drawn specifically to the work KOMA as a stark and simultaneously gentle exploration of the relationships between human progress and natural grace.

Having seen it in its 10 minute duration three times, it has proven to be the most engaging and complexly interesting work for me. Each carefully composed scene reads like a slow moving photograph collected into an intimate album. And beautifully, the abstracted story loops into something unfinished, unresolved and waiting. Each part appears longing. For me, there is the quality of experiencing fragmented memories, almost dream-like in the unfolding views of this environment. The pacing of each frame and the cut from one careful detail to the next feel like long, drawn out breaths.

KOMA imbues me with a sense of its physical coldness, it’s reality, it’s factuality and yet still feels eerily temporal. I appreciate the skill of the artist, cinematographer and sound designer in balancing these forces of conflicting perception. I enjoy the sense of subtle disorientation and dislocation as the film unwinds and shares passive but poignant insights about humanness, domestication, development and destruction; expansion and natural limitations."

Jo's Pick: Meat Tray by Gerwyn Davies

As Director of Caloundra Regional Gallery, Jo has followed the journey of this year's Prize from finalist selection through to exhibition opening. It was hard to whittle down to a single entry. But I think we managed to get there with the fabulous Meat Tray by Gerwyn Davies.

"This is an extraordinary textile work. What I love most about it is not only its remarkable handmade beauty, created through faux vinyl leather, rhinestones and glitter, but the way it immediately draws me into memories both past and present. It takes me back to being dragged along to the local RSL by my mum for bingo in the downstairs function room. If we were lucky enough to win, we might enjoy the roast of the day before buying tickets in the meat tray raffle, carried proudly through the room by a burly attendant and his sidekick armed with books of tickets and a bucket for the cash. At the same time, the work prompts memories of my current life, rushing to the local RSL with my partner before 6pm so he can buy tickets in the meat tray, often spending more than the tray itself is worth.

Beyond nostalgia, the work offers a thoughtful reflection on a shared Australian social experience. It honours a tradition that will resonate with many audiences while also opening a dialogue about the changing nature of these community spaces. RSL clubs, once perceived as predominantly masculine and traditional environments, have evolved into more inclusive venues that welcome diverse communities, including hosting events such as Drag Queen Bingo nights and community gatherings. The work celebrates this transformation while acknowledging the cultural significance these spaces continue to hold."

Have you voted yet?

Our staff have shared the works that resonated most with them, but now it's your turn.

The People's Choice Award is one of the most anticipated awards in the Sunshine Coast National Art Prize because it reflects the voices of our visitors and community. Every vote helps recognise the artwork that has made the strongest connection with audiences throughout the exhibition.

Voting closes Sunday 13 September at midnight. Don't miss your opportunity to have your say.

Vote now for the artwork that resonated most with you.

Join us for the winners announcement

Once voting closes, all eyes turn to the official Sunshine Coast National Art Prize Winners Announcement on Thursday 24 September.

Join us as we reveal the recipients of the four major awards:

Best in Show Award
Highly Commended Award
Artist Residency Award
People's Choice Award

This is a free event, but bookings are essential. Get your tickets now.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

The Sunshine Coast National Art Prize would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors and partners.

We sincerely thank:

Their support helps us celebrate contemporary Australian art and create opportunities for artists to share their work with audiences across the Sunshine Coast and beyond.