Annual Art Awards
The Art Awards started in 2008 following a partnership with the Queanbeyan Art Society dating back to 1975.
Council sponsored a major acquisitive prize at the society’s annual exhibition and the prize-winning artworks form the bulk of council’s art collection. The collection also contains additional works acquired at these exhibitions and others that have been gifted, and totals approximately 130 works.
Since 2008 the Art Awards have been both a non-acquisitive and acquisitive exhibition sponsored and managed by QPRC and held in The Q-Exhibition Space, in Queanbeyan.
Entries closed 2024 Art Awards
Entries have now closed the 2024 QPRC and Bendigo Bank Art Awards.
Total of $17,500 in Prizes in 2024
The Braidwood and Bungendore branches of the Bendigo Bank are continuing and increasing their valuable sponsorship of our Annual Art Awards. The 2024 Award Categories and Prizes are available in the table below.
Award Category |
Prize |
QPRC Major Acquisitive Award |
$5,000 |
3D Art Award |
$3,000 |
3D Highly Commended |
$500 |
First Nations Award |
$3,000 |
First Nations Highly Commended |
$500 |
Emerging Artist Award |
$2,000 |
Emerging Artist Highly Commended |
$500 |
Bendigo Pick Award |
$1,000 |
Bendigo Pick Highly Commended |
$500 |
Viewer's Choice Award |
$1,000 |
Viewer's Choice Runners Up |
$500 |
Please read our 2024 Terms and Conditions for the Art Awards(PDF, 256KB) and note the following changes:
- Increase in size of artworks and 3D works that can be submitted
- Emerging Artist age range, expanded to 16-25 years
- The disqualification of AI - Artificial Intelligence Generated artworks from entry into the Awards
- Judges' authority to NOT award a prize category if they so choose
- A disputes process clause.
Key dates for 2024 Art Awards
Announcement of sponsor and prizes |
January 2024 |
Online registrations open |
Tuesday 2 April |
Online registrations close |
Tuesday 30 April |
Delivery of works to the Q-Gallery |
Monday 13 and Tuesday 14 May |
Art Awards Opening Event |
Thursday 23 May |
Exhibition closes |
Saturday 15 June |
Collection of unsold works |
Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 June |
2023 Winners
Proudly supported by Bendigo Bank
Lesley Sykes - winner of 2023 Major Acquisitive Award (pictured above with her work Bush Track – Bottom Pond)
- $5,000 Major Acquisitive Award – Lesley Sykes
- $3,000 3D Art Award - Lea Durie
- $500 3D Highly Commended - Megan Toone
- $2,000 First Nation's Indigenous Art Award - Lea Palij
- $500 First Nation's Highly Commended - Gail Neuss
- $2,000 Emerging Artist Award - Mahala Hill
- $500 Emerging Artist Highly Commended (this was not awarded this year, and instead a $500 People's Choice Highly Commended will be awarded)
- $1,000 Bendigo Pick Award - Jerusha McDowell
- $500 Bendigo Highly Commended - Angela Harris
- $1,000 People's Choice Award - Jo Parsons
- $500 People's Choice Highly Commended - Marren Toone and Kate Carruthers (tied for votes)
Previous Winners of the Regional Art Award
- 2008 Timo Nest
- 2009 Claire Primrose
- 2010 June Roblom
- 2011 Timo Nest
- 2012 Sharon Field
- 2013 Debra Boyd-Goggon
- 2014 Sonja Kalenjuk
- 2015 Claire Primrose
- 2016 Sally Simpson
- 2017 Harriet Schwartzrock & Suzanne Moss
- 2018 Gunther Deix & Erin Conron
- 2019 Linda Dening
- 2020 not awarded
- 2021 Sally Simpson
- 2022 Frank Lindner
- 2023 Lesley Sykes