From over 1,000 entries, 63 artists have been shortlisted for the $50,000 National Works on Paper acquisition and award. The prize, the most prestigious acquisitive prize and exhibition of its kind in Australia, showcases recent work by some of Australia’s leading artists working in the field of drawing, print-making and digital media, providing a survey of contemporary practice today. Traditional approaches to working with paper are explored along with works that use new technological mediums – displaying the ways in which these mediums are prompting new explorations of working with and on paper.

Kylie Stillman, Just C, 2017
From the exquisitely obsessive, to the effortless and extemporaneous, the works reflect the skill and scope of current contemporary practice and experimentation.
Shortlisted artists include: Raymond Arnold, Peter Atkins, Alec Baker, Martin Bell, Ray Besserdin, Solomon Booth, David Bosun, Godwin Bradbeer, Kate Briscoe, Jane Brown, Jon Campbell, Susanna Castleden, Danica Chappell, Hua Cun Chen, Sam Cranstoun, Lesley Duxbury, Robert Fielding, David Frazer, Ian Friend, Dana Harris, Katherine Hattam, Pei Pei He, Kendal Heyes, Mark Hislop, Deanna Hitti, Anna Hoyle, Natalya Hughes, Alana Hunt, Locust Jones, Jennifer Joseph, Noŋgirrŋa Marawili , Brian Martin, Georgie Mattingley, Mish Meijers, Viv Miller, Helen Mueller, John Nixon, Open Spatial Workshop, Elena Papanikolakis, Louise Paramor, Hubert Pareroultja, Jemima Parker, Riley Payne, Dan Price, Lisa Reid, Louise Rippert, Cameron Robbins, Brian Robinson, Elissa Sampson, Emily Sandrussi, Geoff Sargeant, Jo Scicluna, Liz Shreeve, William Smeets, Kylie Stillman, TextaQueen, James Tylor and Laura Wills, Trent Walter, Rosie Weiss, Mumu Mike Williams, Puna Yanima, Yvonne Zago and Tianli Zu.

Daniel O’Shane, Aib Ene Zogo ni Pat (Story of Aib and the sacred waterhole) – Winner of the Beleura House & Garden 2016 National Works on Paper Acquisitive Award
The 2018 judging panel includes Victoria Lynn, Director, TarraWarra Museum of Art, Dr Kyla McFarlane, Curator of Academic Programs (Research), The Ian Potter Museum of Art, University of Melbourne and Jane Alexander, Director, Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery.
The 2018 National Works on Paper prize will be announced on Saturday 21 July, including the $15,000 Mornington Peninsula Shire / Beleura – The Tallis Foundation major acquisitive award and the $3,500 Ursula Hoff Institute Emerging Artist Award, Proudly supporting Post Graduate excellence in Visual Arts and Music. Recent winners include Daniel O’Shane, Jess Johnson, Laith McGregor, Richard Lewer, Danie Mellor, Gareth Sansom, Paul Boston, Lisa Roet and eX de Medici.
The 2018 National Works on Paper exhibition will be held at Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery from 20 July to 9 September 2018.