Overview

In 2022, Galleries Museum + Heritage launched a biennial art prize to support ACT and regional artists to exhibit their works and encourage a deeper and contemporary appreciation of Canberra’s cultural and natural heritage through artistic engagements with our historic places.

The 2025, The Lanyon Art Prize again invites artists from the ACT and region to submit works that respond to Lanyon Homestead. Through their response, artists can explore what Lanyon Homestead means within the broader context of Canberra’s past, present and future. The Lanyon Art Prize has a prize pool to the value of $20,000.

The purpose of the selected works is to inspire contemporary views and storytelling about Lanyon and its surrounds – its landscape, local and regional context, the First Nations and non-First Nations people who have lived and worked here, tangible and intangible heritage, the collection of objects, and the living heritage of the gardens and its pastoral setting which is still a working farm. Finalist’s works will be exhibited in select locations on the property to create an immersive experience.

Entrants are encouraged to look beyond the surface and consider a deeper analysis of this special place. Entrants will be judged on their level of direct response and interrogation of Lanyon Homestead and its history, context, collection, landscape and stories, along with the degree of artistic merit, development of concepts and technical skill.

The Lanyon Art Prize is a regional, non-acquisitive prize and exhibition with all works available for sale. It is open to works by artists, musicians, craftspeople and designers aged 18 years and over who are a resident of the ACT or the surrounding Canberra region, including Bega, Eurobodalla, Hilltops, Goulburn Mulwaree, Queanbeyan-Palerang, Snowy Monaro, Upper Lachlan and Yass Valley.

 

The Judges

• Lucy Culliton - One of Australia’s most well recognised female contemporary landscape and still life artists who lives and works in the Monaro region
• Virginia Rigney - Creative Producer and Curator and Senior Curator of Visual Arts, Galleries, Museums + Heritage 
• Michael Bailey – Assistant Director Business Development and Activations, Cultural Facilities Corporation, trombonist with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra and founding member of the Brass Knuckle Band.

Prize categories

• 1st prize: $10,000
• 2rd prize: Solo Exhibition at CMAG on the Square, Canberra Museum and Gallery, with $1,000 cash for exhibition support.
• 3nd prize: $1,000
• People’s Choice Award: $500. To be announced at the close of the exhibition.
• Tuggeranong Arts Centre Award: Solo or Group Exhibition at TAC, with $500 cash for exhibition support