This year, Gippsland Art Gallery received 409 artworks submitted by 334 artists from all over Australia for the John Leslie Art Prize, a national, biennial prize for landscape painting, named after the former Patron of the Gippsland Art Gallery, John Leslie OBE (1919-2016).
The three-member selection panel, comprising Gallery Director Simon Gregg, Curator Erin Mathews, and Art Critic Robert Nelson was impressed by the quality and variety of entries, and a total of 50 works were selected as finalists. Each vying for the $20,000 prize, with the winning work to be automatically acquired for the Gallery’s permanent collection. There is also a $1,000 prize available for the Best Gippsland Work.
Nicola Moss, Seek Shelter, 2020, acrylic, oil, frottage, paper collage on stretched linen, 120 x 240cm. Courtesy the artist and Onespace Gallery, Brisbane
The 2020 John Leslie Art Prize finalists are:
Min-Woo Bang (NSW), David Beaumont (VIC), Dean Bowen (VIC), Robyn Burgess (VIC), Amelia Carroll (ACT), Ulla Childs (VIC), Kevin Chin (VIC), Donovan Christie (SA), Dana Dion (NSW), Sharman Feinberg (VIC), Betra Fraval (VIC), Peter Gardiner (NSW), Linda Gibbs (VIC), Tuppy Ngintja Goodwin (SA), Janet Green (VIC), Stephen Haley (VIC), Sarah Hendy (VIC), David Hoyt (VIC), Helena Jackson-Lloyd (QLD), Klara Jones (VIC), Gina Kalabishis (VIC), Richard Knafelc (VIC), Debbie Mackenzie (VIC), Judy Martin (SA), Rick Matear (VIC), Gary Miles (VIC), Lynn Miller (VIC), Paul S. Miller (NSW), Nicola Moss (QLD), Anh Nguyen (NSW), Veronica O’Leary (NSW), Margaret Parker (VIC), Adam Pyett (VIC), Gemma Rasdall (NSW), Annika Romeyn (ACT), Phil Ryan (NSW), Alexandra Sasse (VIC), Elif Sezen (VIC), Josh Simpson (VIC), Peta-Jayne Smith (ACT), Karen Standke (VIC), AJ Taylor (QLD), Leah Thiessen (NSW), Sarah Tomasetti (VIC), Paul Waycott (VIC), Anita West (QLD), Lee Wilkes (QLD), and Jamie Willis (SA).
Dates for the 2020 John Leslie Art Prize will be announced when available on the Gippsland Art Gallery’s website and social media platforms. All finalists are available for viewing online.
