2017 Mosman Art Prize finalists announced

The 88 artworks to be exhibited as finalists for the 2017 Mosman Art Prize exhibition have been announced, including works by Anh Do, Wendy Sharpe, Clara Adolphs, Alan Jones and Khaled Sabsabi as well as Mosman artists Ken Done and Jumaadi.

National Gallery of Australia Deputy Director Kirsten Paisley had the challenging task of judging more than 750 artworks received for the prize, which this year celebrates its 70th year.

“Mosman is the home of one of the most significant art prizes in Australia,” Gallery Director John Cheeseman said. “This year the quality of the works entered was the best ever with the Mosman Art Prize attracting high quality entries from across Australia, including works from Tasmania, Queensland and Western Australia.”

The Mosman Art Prize exhibition, which will extend across the entire top two levels of the Gallery, will be open to the public for viewing from Saturday 23 September until Sunday 29 October 2017.

The much anticipated announcement of the awards including the $50,000 Acquisitive First Prize, $10,000 Margaret Olley Award, $3,000 Allan Gamble Award and the $2,000 Emerging Artist Award will take place on Thursday 28 September.

The Mosman Art Prize is the longest running and most prestigious municipal art prize in Australia. Winning entries form the basis of the Mosman Art Collection, a valuable and historic collection that surveys Australian painting since 1947.

The Mosman Art Prize is an acquisitive award of $50,000 sponsored by Mosman Council. Previous winners form a roll call of Australian Art luminaries: Grace Cossington Smith, Weaver Hawkins, Francis Lymburner, Nancy Borlase, Lloyd Rees, Guy Warren, John Caldwell, Frank Hinder, Elwyn Lynn, Margo Lewers, Peter Laverty, Earle Backen, Ken Reinhard, Jenny Sages, Noel McKenna, Dong Wang Fan, Elisabeth Cummings, Tim Johnson, Guan Wei, Adam Cullen, Tom Carment, Nicholas Harding, Jasper Knight, Lucy Culliton and Craig Waddell.
Margaret Olley was the inaugural winner in 1947. The notable Australian artist Michael Zavros was awarded the Mosman Art Prize in 2016.

The Mosman Art Prize offers four further art awards in addition to the acquisitive major prize including:

• Margaret Olley Award ($10,000) for a highly commended work
• The Mosman Council-sponsored Allan Gamble Memorial Art Prize ($3,000) for a painting exploring the theme of ‘the built environment’
• The Fourth Village Providore-sponsored Young Emerging Artist Award ($2,000) and
• Mosman Art Society Viewers’ Choice Award ($1,000).