From the Director - August 2025

Hello Everyone,

We're very excited to have the Sunshine Coast National Art Prize 2025 opening on Friday 15 August. We've just seen all of the major prize-winning artworks from the last 19 years on exhibition during the 25th Anniversary celebrations and it's been interesting to hear everybody's responses. Which of the works are community favourites, which are more challenging and thoughts on each of the judges' decisions.

It has been an opportunity to reflect on discussions in culture on a national level, since the inaugural prize in 2006. The first two major prize-winning artworks were created by First Nations artists – Shane Pickett (Nyoongar), whose painting Wanyarang, the Calling Season for Rain moves away from Western Desert dot painting but still speaks to his relationship with Country, and Tony Albert (Girramay), with the photographic print 50perCENT feat. SISSY. Tony is a contemporary urban First Nations artist who uses his work to call out stereotypes and challenge how Aboriginal people are seen in pop culture. He is known for his ‘Aboriginalia’- an upcycling of kitchy, mass-produced souvenir objects with a political messaging component to his making.

The next major prize-winning work was Reinhardt's Silver Instant Painting, by Scott Redford. Scott's conceptual Pop Art practice bridges high art and popular culture, speaking to his identity both as a Gold Coast local and a queer artist. From the beginning the prize has been quite progressive, marking its place in the culture as a contemporary art prize.

Worker's Blues #1, a textile piece by Raquel Ormella which won the major prize in 2017, caused quite a stir in the community. The Sunshine Coast didn't have many Fly-In Fly-Out (FIFO) workers at the time, unlike Gladstone where I worked before relocating to the coast. The FIFO workforce had a big impact there, with workers entering communities and creating change – the concern at the time was workers coming in to work and then leaving to spend their profits elsewhere. But when that workforce pulled out a few years later, they left a significant gap in the economy of Gladstone. The understanding of Raquel's work has evolved over time, along with our understanding of the effects of FIFO work around the country.

We received a record number of 469 entries into this year's prize, with a breakdown of predominantly painting but also a significant number of works on paper – including drawings, digital prints and other forms of printmaking. We also have a good showing of photographic works, using a variety processes, as well as textiles and moving image works. In terms of scale, we have a good balance between large artworks and more intimate ones.

Three of the finalists are based locally on the Sunshine Coast – Erin Conron with two-dimensional glass work Parallax Series - Prism #2, Petalia Humphreys with video piece, Inversion #5, and Nicole Voevodin-Cash with textile artwork ALLsorts LOSS + POTENTIAL – which goes to show how strong artmaking is on the coast. In total, we have a spread of artists from the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.

The exhibition opens Friday 15 August and continues until 12 October. Visit the gallery to see some of the best contemporary two-dimensional and new media art that Australia has to offer. We will also have a full program of workshops and events, now open for bookings, plus children's activities. And don't forget, you can vote for your favourite artwork in the People's Choice Award and go in the draw to win a $100 gallery store voucher.

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Look forward to seeing you in the gallery...

Jo Duke
Gallery Director