Wollumbin Art Award

Exhibition dates: Friday 6 September – Sunday 24 November
View exhibition details and catalogue

Congratulations to our 2024 Wollumbin Art Award winners!

About the award Finalists

2024 Wollumbin Art Award winner

Wollumbin Art Award 2024 winner - Hannah Lange - Weaving by the River
Image credit: Hannah Lange, Weaving by the River 2024, acrylic on cotton canvas. © The artist.

Congratulations to Tweed-based Wiradjuri artist Hannah Lange for winning the 2024 Wollumbin Art Award with her painting Weaving by the River.

The $15,000 Award includes a 2-week residency at the Nancy Fairfax Artist in Residence Studio at TRG&MOAC.


2024 WAA Bundjalung Award winner

2024 Wollumbin Art Award Bundjalung Award winner - Nickolla Clark - Ngalawaa ma lee la Brunswick Balun (Gathering on Brunswick River)
Image credit: Nickolla Clark Ngalwaa ma lee la Brunswick Balun (Gathering on Brunswick River) 2023, ochre on canvas. © The artist. Photograph: Jaka Adamic.

Congratulations to Arakwal Bundjalung artist Nickolla Clark for winning the 2024 WAA Bundjalung Award with her painting Ngalawaa ma lee la Brunswick Balun (Gathering on Brunswick River).

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.

Tweed Regional Gallery Foundation Ltd logo


2024 WAA Emerging Artist Award winner

2024 Wollumbin Art Award Emerging Artist Award winner - Joshua Vogel - On the inside there was an innate tenderness
Image credit: Joshua Vogel, On the inside there was an innate tenderness 2023, oil on poly cotton. © The artist.

Congratulations to Joshua Vogel for winning the 2024 WAA Emerging Artist Award with his painting On the inside there was an innate tenderness.

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


About the award

WAA logo 2024 square

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.

2024 WAA Judge - Sebastian Goldspink
2024 Judge, Sebastian Goldspink
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 included Sebastian Goldspink, Aunty Joyce Summers, Gallery Director Ingrid Hedgcock and Exhibitions Curator Tina Wilson.

2024 Wollumbin Art Award Finalists

  • Meli Axford
  • Cheryl Bailey
  • Elsie Biles
  • Stephen Bird
  • Fiona Blake
  • Emily-Sarah Boldeman
  • Chuck Bradley
  • Monica Buscarino
  • Lucia Canuto
  • Kirsten Chambers
  • Aaron Chapman
  • Nickolla Clark
  • Kane Corowa
  • Colleen DaRosa
  • Raimond de Weerdt
  • Lorraine Dean
  • Elizabeth Dodds
  • Kathryn Dolby
  • Shannon Doyle
  • Lyle Duncan
  • Kath Egan
  • Candice Elphick
  • Tal Fitzpatrick
  • Chris Fryer
  • Isabell Heiss
  • Justin Hunt
  • Skye Jamieson
  • Cedar Jeffs
  • Nat Kafka
  • Jason King
  • Jenny Kitchener
  • Aria Kitchener
  • Hannah Lange
  • Habitat Legit
  • Corinne Lewis
  • Julie Lipsett
  • Lisa Sorbie Martin
  • Laith McGregor
  • Tamara Mendels
  • Diana Miller
  • Naomi Moran
  • Antoinette O’Brien
  • Judy Oakenfull
  • Tracey Piccoli
  • Sabine Pick
  • Wallace Randolph
  • Caitlin Reilly
  • Jacqueline & Dane Scotcher
  • Anne Smerdon
  • Dave Sparkes
  • Zen Staff
  • Araby Steen
  • Sam Steinhauer
  • John Stewart
  • Michael Stiegler
  • Mick Stovin
  • Robyn Sweaney
  • Yasmina Tadic
  • Trish Tait
  • Caitlin Turnbull
  • Brad Turner
  • Joshua Vogel
  • Emma Walker
  • Dawn Walker
  • Chelle Wallace
  • Amber Wallis
  • Rudiger Wasser
  • Oksana Waterfall
  • Natalie Wilkin
  • Kat Shapiro Wood
  • Edward "Jimmi James" Wright
  • Karena Wynn-Moylan

2022 award winners

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

WAA 2022 2nd and 3rdMichael 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

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.

2022 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.

View the WAA 2022 catalogue.