Prizes

Painting Prize $50,000 (acquisitive)
Works on Paper Prize $10,000 (acquisitive)
Ceramics Prize $10,000 (acquisitive)
People’s Choice Prize $1,000 (non-acquisitive)

Key Dates

Entries open midnight (AEST) Sunday November 1 2020
Entries close midnight (AEST) Sunday 31 January 2021
Finalists and Adjudicator announced Monday 8 February 2021
Opening Night and announcement of Prize Winners 6.00pm Saturday 6 March 2021
Exhibition 7 March to 2 May 2021

Entry Costs

Painting Prize $45 per entry
Works On Paper $25 per entry
Ceramics Prize $25 per entry

About the Prize

Since 1958, the Muswellbrook Art Prize has grown and evolved and is today one of the richest prizes for painting in regional Australia. Finalists of the 48th Muswellbrook Art Prize in 2021 vie for a total of $71,000 prize money across four prize categories: Painting ($50,000 acquisitive), Works on Paper ($10,000 acquisitive), Ceramics ($10,000 acquisitive) and People’s Choice ($1,000 non-acquisitive).

Astute adjudication of the Muswellbrook Art Prize over the years has yielded an excellent collection of modern and contemporary Australian paintings, works on paper and ceramics from the Post War period of the 20th Century and into the 21st Century, with the winning acquisitive works forming the nucleus of what is now known as the Muswellbrook Shire Art Collection.

Previous winners of the Muswellbrook Art Prize include such key figures as David Aspden, Sydney Ball, Richard Larter and Fred Williams. The Upper Hunter Region is also well represented with a number of local artists being successful in winning the Prize including Peter Atkins, Dale Frank, Lyn Nash and Hanna Kay.

Along with Muswellbrook Shire Council, who since 1958 has acted as sponsor and administrator of the Muswellbrook Art Prize, Bengalla Mining Company has generously sponsored the Prize for the past 25 years, their commitment ensuring the development of the Muswellbrook Shire Art Collection.