2023 Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize call for entries
Published on 15 May 2023
The Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize, Australia’s pre-eminent award for small sculpture presented by Woollahra Council, has announced three new judges for 2023. Artists are invited to submit their entries by 17 July.
The 2023 Prize judges are Alex Seton - sculptor and previous Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize winner; Dr Kate Harrison – Chair, Copyright Agency; and Blak Douglas - artist and Archibald Prize winner.
2023 Prize judges: (from left to right) Alex Seton, Dr Kate Harrison, Blak Douglas
The Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize attracts some of the world’s most exciting and innovative professional and emerging sculptors, with a prize pool of $29,000 awarded to winning artists across four categories: the main acquisitive award of $25,000; the Special Commendation of $2,000; the Mayor’s Award of $1,000 and the Viewers’ Choice of $1,000.
Established in 2001 as the first national acquisitive prize for an original, freestanding sculpture of up to 80cm in any dimension, the Prize attracts strong support from artists, collectors and critics.
The 2023 finalists’ works will be on display at Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf in a free exhibition running from 28 September to 5 November 2023, with all sculptures on sale to the public.
Susan Wynne, Mayor of Woollahra, said: “Though small in size, entries are always symbolic of big issues and ideas, with the finalists chosen from a field of diverse, thought-provoking works. I am looking forward to seeing the brilliant creations artists produce for this year’s Prize.”
Last year, 49 finalists were selected from 684 entries. The main Prize winner was Bruce Reynolds for his work Animal Kraters. Nabilah Nordin received the Special Commendation Award for Glut Cherry, while Peter Tilley was selected for the Mayor’s Award, for The Next Voyage.
Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf opened its doors in November 2021, hosting the Prize as its first exhibition. The historic 123-year-old St Brigid’s building, owned by Woollahra Council and previously home to Double Bay Library, was restored and reinvented into a new Gallery space by Tanner Kibble Denton Architects to create four high-calibre exhibition spaces. Overlooking Sydney Harbour in Double Bay and spanning two levels, the Gallery is located adjacent to the 1863 Council Chambers, picturesque Blackburn Gardens, Murray Rose Pool and Redleaf Beach.
New Gallery Director Pippa Mott, who joins the Gallery following roles at the Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) and Mona Foma Festival, said: “The Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize is a beloved tradition for the Council, community, and artists alike. It is an honour to be able to work alongside the esteemed judges and Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize Committee and to support the continued growth of this exceptional prize.”
Woollahra Gallery has attracted visitors from across the world with a year-round program of contemporary art, recently winning the Leo Kelly OAM Arts and Culture Award as part of the 2022 NSW Local Government Week Awards.
For further details visit Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize.
Key Dates
Entries close 17 July 2023
Finalists notified August 2023
Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize Winner announced 27 September 2023
Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize 2023 Exhibition: 28 September to 5 November 2023
Judges' Biographies
About Blak Douglas
Blak Douglas is a self-taught painter and performer with proud Dunghatti Aboriginal origins. Douglas has exhibited both nationally and internationally and received numerous awards including the Kilgour Prize (2019), the STILL: National Still Life Award (2020) and the Archibald Prize (2022). His work is held in such collections as the Australian Institute of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Studies, the Aboriginal Art Museum of Utrecht, Artbank, Art Gallery of NSW, National Gallery of Australia, National Museum of Australia, NSW Parliament House Collection, Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), Manly Art Gallery & Museum and The National Maritime Museum.
About Alex Seton
Alex Seton is a Sydney-based artist who has exhibited extensively both nationally and internationally. Known for his marble carvings, Seton’s multidisciplinary artistic practice incorporates sculpture, photography, video and installation. The winner of the Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize (2009), Seton has been awarded numerous residencies and prizes, notably being the first Australian artist to win the prestigious Sovereign Asian Art Award (2020) and receiving the Mordant Fellowship to the American Academy in Rome (2019). Seton is currently a member of the National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) Artists’ Benevolent Fund Advisory Panel and the Artist Reference Group at the National Gallery of Australia.
About Dr Kate Harrison
Dr Kate Harrison chairs the Board of the Copyright Agency, which supports visual artists, authors, and publishers in Australia by licensing the use of images and text and generating and distributing copyright royalty payments from government, businesses, and educational institutions. The Copyright Agency also manages the Resale Royalty Scheme, and provides support to the creative sector through its Cultural Fund, including grants to visual arts organisations and artists. Kate is also a partner at the law firm Gilbert + Tobin, practising mainly in the areas of litigation and intellectual property.