by Terri Moore
We’re excited to see how young artists in the school student category will respond to the theme of the 2025 Adelaide Park Lands Art Prize: “Inspire”.
Nature has always been a source of inspiration for artists, but how can young people be inspired and also conceptual in their response?
Terri Moore, our Art Prize schools contact, and visual arts teacher.
As an art teacher, guiding young people to develop skills in a range of techniques and media, I recognise the importance of encouraging them to have a voice in exploring concepts in their work.
This might be a social concern or a political or environmental issue.
The 2023 winning entrant in the school category, Piper Binsted, demonstrated this in her unique and thoughtful work, Home, which focused on the issue of homelessness.
I interviewed Piper about her work and her future aspirations in art.
Piper Binsted (front) at the 2023 Adelaide Park Lands Art Prize launch with former Adelaide Park Lands Art Prize chair (now deputy Chair) Nataliya Dikovskaya (left) and Adelaide Lord Mayor Dr Jane Lomax-Smith AM.
Piper, please tell us about being shortlisted as a finalist and then announced as the winner of the Adelaide Park Lands Art Prize “school student” category in 2023.
“I was excited to have been considered a finalist and to be invited to the Adelaide Festival Centre. I met so many interesting people at that event and at the exhibition.
“When they called my name as the winner, I couldn’t believe it. My mum actually cried, and I was so proud.”
How long did it take you to do your mixed media artwork?
“I live on Kangaroo Island, so when I was in Adelaide, I spent time photographing parts of the Adelaide Park Lands that inspired me.
“From a photo, I produced a drawing and used watercolour. The time-consuming part of my artwork was the collage, but I enjoyed bringing the trees to life with crepe paper.”
Piper Binsted’s 2023 winning artwork, ‘Home’, in the school student category. (Main photo, top, is another of Piper’s artworks, ‘Aware’, on show at the Art Museum of Kangaroo Island.)
What were the inspirations for your work?
“My submission focused on the issue of homelessness in the Adelaide Park Lands. I felt a connection to the topic because Kangaroo Island had experienced bushfires and left many people homeless.”
Do you think you will participate in the Adelaide Park Lands Art Prize in future?
“Definitely. I am working on a piece now for the 2025 Art Prize, in a different medium, which I am excited about.”
The school student category is one of seven categories in the 2025 Art Prize competition. There is also an overall prize and judges’ commendations.
Why should young artists enter the 2025 Adelaide Park Lands Art Prize?
“I think opportunities are there to be taken. Planning and creating my piece was a lot of fun, and it gave me a voice. Being a part of the Adelaide Park Lands Art Prize [competition] is a wonderful learning experience.”
Enter the 2025 Adelaide Park Lands Art Prize
Create an artwork, in any medium, responding to the theme, ‘Inspire’.
Entries in all categories are open until 31 January 2025.
The entry fee for adults is $50. School students have a discounted $25 fee.
Prizemoney of $2,500 in the school student category will be divided equally between primary and secondary students.
Enter here: https://parklandsart.org/
Students in financial hardship can apply for a funded entry fee by application, in which students provide information on their circumstances. Students can apply for this by emailing terrimoore.art@gmail.com, briefly explaining why they need their entry fees waived.
Please contact terrimoore.art@gmail.com if you have any questions.
The exhibition of finalists will be held in March-April 2025.
Prizes
First prize will again be $20,000. There will be at least seven category prizes of $2,500 each, making a total prize pool of at least $37,500.
In addition to a first prize of $20,000, there will be at least seven category prizes, offered for: Multimedia (including digital art and photography), School Student, First Nations, People's Choice (sponsored by the Royal Adelaide Show Society), Three-dimensional (i.e. sculptures, craft etc), Artist Living with a Disability (sponsored by Minda), and Emerging Artist.
Sponsor a prize category
Claim the naming rights for one or more of these categories within the 2025 Adelaide Park Lands Art Prize: https://parklandsart.org/support-the-art-prize/
Prize pool expansion?
We are still hopeful of securing additional sponsors and donors to boost the prize pool further, and award even more prizes than those outlined above. Our aim is to boost overall prize money to match the record $50,000 that was paid out in 2023. You can help with a tax-deductible donation through the Australian Cultural Fund.
See details here: https://artists.australianculturalfund.org.au/s/project/a2E9q000000IWQe/adelaide-park-lands-art-prize-2025
