Blue Mountains News

Renowned for its celebration of Australian landscape painting and figurative sculpture, theWynne Prize draws attention to the nation’s stunning natural beauty and the diverse talents of its artistic community.

Among this year's finalists are Blue Mountains-based artists Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro, whose collaborative work won the 2022 Sulman Prize.

Their 2024 entry into the Wynne Prize is titled Grey nomadic visions and features truck doors with gold paint, LED lights, a ‘Blackberry’ pattern attributed to 19th-century English designer William Morris, and a camel.

With 738 entries in 2024, the competition saw 41 finalists selected, including 21 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists – the highest number of Indigenous artists ever to be featured in the prestigious prize. 2024 finalists include Billy Bian, Janet Koongotema, Vincent Namatjira and 2024 winner Djaka?u Yunupi?u.

Blue Mountains Mayor Mark Greenhill said, “Bringing the Wynne Prize exhibition to the Blue Mountains is one of the highlights of the 2025 arts calendar and presents an opportunity to view some of the best emerging and established artists from around Australia.

“As a community celebrated for its extensive contribution to the arts, it is also pleasing to note the presence of artists hailing from the Blue Mountains in the 2024 Wynne Prize.

“I would urge everyone to come along to the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre to enjoy the exhibition for themselves.”

The $50,000 Wynne Prize is judged by the trustees of the Art Gallery of NSW and is awarded to the best landscape painting of Australian scenery or figurative sculpture.

The Wynne Prize was established following a bequest by Richard Wynne and was first awarded in 1897 to mark the official opening of the Art Gallery of NSW at its present site.

The Blue Mountains Council invites visitors wanting to learn more about the Wynne Prize 2024to join Beatrice Gralton, Art Gallery of New South Wales Senior Curator of Contemporary Australian Art for a special Gallery Floor Talk on Saturday, 24 May, from 11 am – 12 pm.

The Wynne Prize 2024 is part of a touring exhibition across the country, proudly supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW’s Blockbusters funding initiative.

For more details, visit here..