Western Australia’s premier portrait prize, The Lester Prize offers a prize pool of over $120,000 spread across two exhibitions, held at WA Museum Boola Bardip, Perth – from 14 September to 17 November 2024 – and ten categories, including the Main Prize’s People’s Choice Award which was awarded to a poignant oil on linen work entitled Shirley by artist and Belmont MLA Cassie Rowe.

Cassie Rowe, Shirley, 2023, 80 × 60cm
The 80 × 60cm portrait’s size allows one to let the entire piece settle into full view, pulling the viewer in to reflect on its more intricate details the longer they stand in its presence. Adorned with glints lighting her hair and softly blushing her face, the beautiful Shirley looks into places far away yet close at hand with more than just her eyes as the emotion of her story builds like a sunrise.

Cassie Rowe with her work titled Shirley
“Shirley and I have known each other a number of years and developed a strong bond,” said Rowe. “When creating a piece, the aspiration is to help us feel connected when we see something that speaks to our own story, in some way. I painted Shirley’s portrait hoping to capture the strength of her character through the hardships she’s faced and I’m extremely grateful her story has resonated with so many.”
Entries for the 2025 Youth Awards are now open, with submissions closing on Wednesday, 5 March 2025. The Youth Awards are an invitation to all high school students across Australia to submit portrait artworks, providing a platform for young creatives to showcase their artistic talents and share their perspectives with the community.
In keeping with their “art accessible for all” ethos, the Lester Prize will be taking the entire 2024 exhibition on the road in 2025, stopping off at Esperance, WA, to showcase the finalists’ work. “So many of our submissions came from regional and rural Australia and we can’t wait to showcase our artists’ diverse and colourful range of portraits further afield,” said Lester Prize Director Russell Lester. “We want to do what we can to bring the breathtaking talent in the exhibition to more viewers and hopefully inspire future submissions.”