Wollumbin Art Award

WAA logo 2024 square

About the award

The Wollumbin Art Award (WAA) is the Gallery’s biennial $30,000 award open to artists living in the Tweed, Ballina, Byron, Kyogle and Scenic Rim Shires, as well as Richmond Valley, Lismore and Gold Coast City.

The Award, named for the mountain the Gallery overlooks, celebrates the calibre and diversity of artists of the region. There is no theme and artists may submit works in any medium.

Sebastian Goldspink
Image credit: Photo by Tanya Linney

The 2024 Judge is recently appointed Director of Hazelhurst Arts Centre, Sebastian Goldspink. A proud descendant of the Burramattagal people of Western Sydney, Goldspink is an independent curator with international and domestic experience. His extensive career includes founding artist-run space ALASKA Projects, curating the 2022 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art, and professional appointments at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Art Month Sydney, National Art School and dLux Media Arts.

The 2024 Pre-selection Panel includes Sebastian Goldspink, Aunty Joyce Summers, Gallery Director Ingrid Hedgcock and Exhibitions Curator Tina Wilson.

WAA Conditions of Entry(PDF, 547KB)
Frequently asked questions(PDF, 532KB)

Online application form

2024 Key dates

Entries open: Monday 25 March, 5 pm

Entries close: Monday 3 June, 5 pm

Finalists announced: Tuesday 25 June

Exhibition dates: Friday 6 September – Sunday 24 November

Winners announced: Saturday 7 September

 

Wollumbin - Kate Holmes

Image credit: Kate Holmes

Prize categories

Wollumbin Art Award, Winner

The $15,000 prize includes a two week residency at the Nancy Fairfax Artist in Residence Studio at Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre.

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WAA Bundjalung Award

The $10,000 Bundjalung Award for First Nations artists includes an exhibition at Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre, and this award is sponsored by the Tweed Regional Gallery Foundation Ltd. 

WAA Emerging Artist

The Emerging Artist Award is $5,000 and is supported by Leanne & Greg Tong-Lyon.

 

Amber Wallis, Ivy With Eyes 2021, oil on linen, 150 x 130cm. Represented by Nicholas Thompson Gallery, Melbourne

Amber Wallis, ‘Ivy With Eyes’ 2021, oil on linen, 150 x 130cm.

WAA 2022 2nd and 3rd

Michael Philp, ‘Pearly Shells’ 2022, acrylic on canvas, 91 x 122 cm. Mia Forrest, ‘Red Flowering Gum’, in motion 2022, video. Images courtesy the artists © The artists

2022 Award Winners

The winner of the inaugural Wollumbin Art Award was Amber Wallis for her painting Ivy with Eyes.

The winner of the inaugural WAA Bundjalung Award was Michael Philp for his painting Pearly shells.

The winner of the inaugural WAA Emerging Artist Award was Mia Forrest for her video work Flowering Red Gum, in motion. 

Highly Commended

  • Caleb Reid
  • Xanthe Dobbie
  • Michael Donnelly
  • Zion Levy Stewart
  • Marian Tubbs
  • Nathan Falk
  • Amarina Toby
  • Brendan Kelly
  • Courtney Cook
  • Zen Staff.

The 2022 guest judge was curator, writer and Editor of Vault Magazine, Alison Kubler. The 2022 WAA pre-selection panel included the TRG&MOAC Gallery Director and the TRG&MOAC Exhibitions Curator, as well as Kylie Caldwell, Indigenous Art Officer, Arts Northern Rivers and respected Local Elder Aunty Joyce Summers.

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