Annual Art Awards – Emerald

Category one | Easel-based works

Artworks can be any medium, including mixed media, acrylic, oil, collage, print and more. Artworks should be on a non-paper-based support.

First Prize $750

Second Prize $250

Category two | Works on paper

Artworks can be any medium, including drawing, watercolour, collage, mixed media, printmaking and more. Artworks must be on a paper-based support.

First Prize $750

Second Prize $250

Category three | Three-dimensional and fibre works

Artworks can be freestanding or wall hung and include pottery, sculpture, maquettes, carving, assemblage, timber, metal, stone, plastic, fibre, mosaics and more.

First Prize $750

Second Prize $250

Category four | Photography

Non-manipulated photography.

First Prize $750

Second Prize $250

Category five | Digital art

Digital art and manipulated photography (no film).

First Prize $750

Second Prize $250

Category six

Youth 13-18 years (any medium)

First Prize $150

Second Prize: $50

Category seven

Junior 12 years and under (any medium)

First Prize $150

Second Prize: $50

Central Highlands Regional Council Acquisitive Award

Selected by judges, the Central Highlands Regional Council Acquisitive Award is open to any entries in categories one to five. It comes with a $4,000 prize.

Central Highlands Regional Council Local Artist Award

Selected by judges, the Central Highlands Regional Council Local Artist Award is open to any entries in categories one to five by artists who live in the Central Highlands region. It comes with a $500 prize (non-acquisitive).

People’s Choice Award

Voted by an online poll open for two weeks from opening night, the People’s Choice Award comes with a $250 prize.

Stay tuned to Central Highlands Regional Galleries pages for more information for our upcoming Emerald Art Awards.

Central Highlands Regional Council Acquisitive Award

Roslyn Head – “Wild”

Central Highlands Regional Council Local Artist Award

Camille Swallow – “Red’Raw”

People’s Choice Award

Gracie Gersbach – “China Blue”

Category 1 Winners (Easel Based works)

First Prize

Tara Lewis – “Emerald Garden”

Second Prize

Natasha Stanton – “Dance of the Waratah”

Highly Commended

Lawrie Stanton – “The Hills of Home”

Jeanne-Marie Niehaus – “Contemplation”

Category 2 Winners (Works on Paper)

First Prize

Jeanne-Marie Niehaus – “Excelsa”

Second Prize

Carmen Beezley-Drake – “Carnarvon Country II”

Highly Commended

Tearnie Gill – “Hidden Struggle”

Bloss Hickson – “Never too early for sunnys”

Category 3 Winners (3D & Fibre Art Works)

First Prize

Carol Forster – “Butterflies & Dragonflies in the Garden”

Second Prize

Sue Frisch – “Opening Night”

Highly Commended

Hugo Spooner – “Anguish”

Raelene Bock & Michelle Gray – “Evolution”

Category 4 Winners (Photography)

First Prize

Diane Armstrong – “Misty Morning, Macedon VIC”

Second Prize

Magdalena Slavikova – “Elegance on Water”

Category 5 Winners (Digital Art)

First Prize

Robert Reid – “Abstract black & coloured shapes”

Category 6 Winners (Youth 13-18 years)

First Prize

Gracie Gersbach – “China Blue”

Second Prize

Erika Neville – “All stitched together”

Highly Commended

Aimee Atkinson – “Javan”

Charlenee Bottenbruch – “Dancer in the Night”

Category 7 Winners (12 years & under)

First Prize

Ella-May Ryder – “Mum”

Second Prize

Rosie Pace – “Splat”

Highly Commended

George Roberts – “Sticky Beak”

Erin Matusch – “Silver Spirals”

Central Highlands Regional Council Acquisitive Award

Geoffrey Head – “Tree Shadow”

Central Highlands Regional Council Local Artist Award

Shawna Fidler – “Two Ducks”

People’s Choice Award

Loretta Horn – “Diplopia”

Category 1 Winners (Easel Based works)

First Prize

Ainslie McMahon – “The Journey”

Second Prize

Joanne Kerr – “Summer Road Trip”

Highly Commended

Carmen Beezley-Drake – “Where Giants Fall”

Kim Price – “Purple Haze II”

Category 2 Winners (Works on Paper)

First Prize

Natasha Stanton – “Forest”

Second Prize

Tara Lewis – “Early Bird”

Highly Commended

Ainslie McMahon – “Fairy Wrens in my backyard”

Category 3 Winners (3D & Fibre Art Works)

First Prize

Raelene Bock & Michelle Gray – “The end, or the beginning?”

Second Prize

Sarah-Menai Strittmatter – “Burgeon Bowl”

Highly Commended

Lawrie Stanton – “Cosmic Layers”

Category 4 Winners (Photography)

First Prize

Sandra Ryan – “Playing Solitaire ’til dawn”

Second Prize

Joshua Clarricoats – “Private Investigations”

Highly Commended

Natasha Jurd – “Roar (Raw)”

Category 5 Winners (Digital Art)

First Prize

Karen Galea – “Shocked!”

Second Prize

Meisha Greentree – “X marks the spot”

Highly Commended

Tricia Godwin – “Invisible Beauty and the Beasts”

Category 6 Winners (Youth 13-18 years)

First Prize

Crissa Ponggo – “Pursuit of Wisdom”

Second Prize

Erin Godfrey – “Something Intricate”

Highly Commended

Lindy Johnson – “The Creation of New”

Charlenee Bottenbruch – “Rabbit”

Category 7 Winners (12 years & under)

First Prize

Vivian Pace – “The Mine”

Second Prize

Dylin Pickard – “Face of an Angel”

Highly Commended

Harper Loch – “Me and Mum”

Tavenor Stewart – “Our Red Chook”

Rafael Chivers – “Bottle Tree”

Central Highlands Regional Council Acquisitive Award

Jet James “Tipping Point”

Central Highlands Regional Council Local Artist Award

Loretta Horn “Muse”

People’s Choice Award

Natasha Jurd “Trapped”

Category 1 Winners (Easel Based works)

First prize

Lyn Laver-Ahmat “Minerva Hills”

Second Prize

Joanne Kerr “Coal Train”

Highly Commended

Sharon Kirk “Finding Myself in the Landscape”

Ainslie McMahon “Delight of the Gum Forest”

Category 2 Winners (Works on Paper)

First prize

Helen Chivers “Cloud Dreaming”

Second Prize

Rolf Bottenbruch “On the Hunt”

Highly Commended

Tara Lewis “Mr Cheeky”

Ainslie McMahon “Horses for India”

Michelle Bradshaw “Shadowing Ancestors”

Category 3 Winners (3D Works)

First prize

Michelle Gray & Raelene Bock “Rich Harve$t”

Second Prize

Hugo Spooner “Together as One”

Highly Commended

Gai Sypher “Home Among the Gum Trees”

Carol Forster “Udu Drum”

Category 4 Winners (Photography)

First prize

Sandra Ryan “Tegan”

Second Prize

Tricia Godwin “Following the Road”

Highly Commended

Karen Galea “In the Shed”

Category 5 Winners (Digital Art)

First Prize

Natasha Jurd “Trapped”

Second Prize

Jemma Isherwood “Self Reformation”

Highly Commended

Natasha Jurd “Innocent”

Category 6 Winners (Youth 13-18 years)

First Prize

Meisha Greentree “Postcards from the Past”

Second Prize

Stella Nyman “Love is in the Air”

Highly Commended

Will Strong “The Strange Lands”

Hannah Atkinson “Am I an Animal?”

Category 7 Winners (12 years & under)

First Prize

Annabelle Dunne (10) “Newt & Tina”

Second Prize

Tavenor Stewart (9) “Blackdown Tablelands”

Highly Commended

Bridgette Dunne (9) “Hank Loses”

Central Highlands Regional Council Acquisitive Award

“Too Much on her Plate” by Jemma Isherwood

Central Highlands Regional Council Local Artist Award

“Growing Free” by Heather Wehl

Winner of the People’s Choice Award 2021 

“Incandescence” by Raelene Bock & Michelle Gray

Category 1 Winners (Easel Based works)

First prize

“A Sensory Place”  by Ainslie McMahon

Second prize

“Dry Brush Gully, Rubyvale” by Maxine Wild

Highly commended

“Mangroves / High Tide” by Elena Churilova

Puppy Puddle by “Loretta Horn”  

“Red Road” by Carmen Beezley-Drake

Category 2 Winners (Works on Paper)

First prize

Old Andado Station by  Andrea Chapman

Second prize

“Blackdown Tablelands” by Elena Churilova

Category 3 Winners (3D Works)

First prize

“After the Bushfire” by Carol Forster

Second prize

“Tender Beauty” by Sarah Larsen

Category 4 Winners (Photography)

First prize

“Coven” by Jemma Isherwood

Second prize

“Misty Morn” by Sandra Ryan

Category 5 Winners (Digital Art)

First prize

There was an Old Woman by Sandra Ryan

Second prize

Old Brown Horse by Sandra Ryan

Category 6 Winners (Youth 13-17 yrs)

First prize

Californian Car by Meisha Greentree

Second prize

“Are you Satisfied Where you are?” by Joshua O’Donnell

Highly commended

“Peony ” by Gracie Gersbach

Category 7 Winners (Junior – under 12 yrs) 

First prize

“Hooples” by Couper Collis

Second prize

“Pink Cockatoo” by Joseph Murree

Highly Commended

“Someone Who Helps” by Abigail McBurney

“Highland Cow” by Hunter Gersbach

“Crocy Croc” by Cobi Hawkins 

“Barbwire Emu Chick” by Cobi Hawkins

“Bright and Early” by Brenton Chick

Central Highlands Regional Council Acquisitive Award 

‘Breaking News’ by Jemma Ryan

Central Highlands Regional Council Local Artist Award 

‘Goondoye Love’ by Janine Hill 

Margaret Gibson Youth Award 

‘One’s Own’ by Lucy Thommason 

People’s Choice Award 

‘Girl in the Rain’ by Michelle Gray and Raelene Bock

Category 1 – Easel based works – any medium 

First prize 

‘Focus on the Light’ by Catherine Boreham

Second prize 

‘A Pair of Galahs’ by Randelle McClure 

Highly commended 

‘Above the Crowd (Emergent Leaders) by Elena Churilova 

Category 2 – Works on paper 

First prize 

‘I See You Too!’ by Randelle McClure 

Second prize 

‘Cooee Bay’ by Jet James 

Category 3 – 3D Works 

First prize 

‘Girl in the Rain’ by Michelle Gray and Raelene Bock 

Second prize 

‘Gasco Sign’ by Jeff Bowerman 

Category 4 – Photography 

First prize 

‘Western Storm’ by Tricia Godwin 

Second prize 

‘Twilight on Water’ by Glen Wright 

Category 5 – Digital art 

First prize 

‘Narnia’ by Jemma Ryan 

Second prize 

‘What Lies Beneath’ by Glen Wright