An anxious wait
by Shane Sody
Hundreds of artists from around Australia are beginning an anxious wait, to find out whether their works will be selected as finalists in the 2025 Adelaide Park Lands Art Prize.
Entries were due to close at 8pm on Friday 31st January.
24 hours before that, at 8pm on 30 January, a total of 217 entries had been received.
Our five eminent judges are scheduled to review each of the entries beginning in mid February, in a first-stage winnowing process, to determine which ones will progress, to be exhibited as finalists.
From top left:
Andrew Purvis, an accomplished artist and curator Adelaide Central School of Arts
Doreen Mellor: a Ngadjan woman, with extensive experience working with First Nations creatives as a curator, writer, and arts administrator
Emma Fey: Acting Director of the Art Gallery of South Australia
Erica Green: Director of Samtag Museum and with deep understanding of contemporary art
Liam Fleming: a distinguished glass artist
When the 2025 Adelaide Park Lands Art Prize exhibition opens at the Adelaide Festival Centre on 1 April, a maximum of 80 entries will be on display.
On that evening, the winners will be announced, and all displayed finalist artworks will be available for purchase.
Chair of the 2025 Adelaide Park Lands Art Prize, Rosemary Warmington, AM
In the final days before entries closed, Art Prize chair, Rosemary Warmington said she was excited by the quality of artworks submitted.
“We are receiving very strong entries and it will be an exciting finalists exhibition. I know many of the ‘professional artists’ and I am confidant they will submit exceptional work.
“The Adelaide Park Lands Art Prize is such an iconic South Australian cultural event and we have such an abundance of creative talent in South Australia, that we can expect strong applications.
“This year we also attracted great interest from emerging artists, for whom the prize offers a vital opportunity.”
Lord Mayor’s reception
Lord Mayor, Jane Lomax-Smith
Adelaide Lord Mayor, Jane Lomax-Smith has confirmed an official Mayoral reception for all finalists.
Artists whose works get the nod as finalists, will be invited to meet the Lord Mayor, and their fellow finalists, at a Town Hall reception, on Wednesday 19 March.
The City of Adelaide is the major sponsor of the Adelaide Park Lands Art Prize.
The Adelaide Park Lands Art Prize aims to inspire both artists and art lovers to Love Your Park Lands. It’s our major event in what we describe as our “Inspire” activities.
Every two years, hundreds of artists submit entries with the hope of carrying off one of the many prizes on offer. Here are the winning entries in each of the previous editions of the Adelaide Park Lands Art Prize, dating back to 2014:
Our Sponsors
These sponsors have helped us offer an overall prize pool, this year, of $42,500.
$20,000 Main Prize - (major donor, $15,000 provided by City of Adelaide)
$2,500 First Nations - Mount Horrocks Wines
$2,500 Artists Living With a Disability - Minda Inc
$2,500 People’s Choice - Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society
$2,500 3D - Mary Louise Simpson
$2,500 Emerging Artist - David Robinson
$2,500 Multi Media - Judith Hunter OAM
$2,500 School Student - APA Fund Raiser
In addition to the above categories, there will be two additional “Judge’s Commendation” prizes of $2,500
Our Gold Sponsors have also given generously ($1,500 each). Our thanks go to: Pam & Robert O’Donnell; Jan & Peter Davis; St Peters College, Hero Weston, and Anonymous. Their sponsorship has contributed to underwriting the prize pool, for both the First Prize and the two Judges Commendations.
Silver sponsors (at $750 each) are: St Aloysius College; JPE Design (Josephine Evans); and James & Jackie Hahn.
The generosity of all these sponsors is acknowledged on the home page of the Adelaide Park Lands Art Prize website.
The Opening Event
The prestigious Opening Event is booked for the Adelaide Festival Centre Gallery on the evening of Tuesday 1st April.
Our volunteer event team is busy organising a fabulous Opening Event for what will be 200 invited guests, including finalist artists, sponsors and distinguished guests.
The Exhibition
To be held in the amazing Adelaide Festival Centre Gallery, will be open to theatre goers and art lovers from April 1st to Tuesday 2nd May. Our volunteer curatorial team is planning a fantastic exhibition for up to 80 finalists.