Released 04/11/2022
Artists from across the greater Canberra region are invited to participate in a new Art Prize that supports local artists while encouraging a deeper appreciation of Canberra’s cultural and natural heritage through artistic engagement with Lanyon Homestead. The prize pool of over $20,000, includes cash prizes, a Craft and Design Artist prize, and solo exhibition opportunities.
The inaugural ACT Historic Places Art Prize invites artists from Canberra and the surrounding region to submit artworks that respond to Lanyon Homestead - its history, landscape, local and regional context, the people who lived and worked there, the collection of objects associated with the site, and the living heritage of the gardens and pastoral setting. Artists will be encouraged to consider themes around public and private spaces, and the stories and tensions inherent in each within the place’s historic context.
Located on Tharwa Drive, Lanyon Homestead is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10am – 4pm. Set at the foot of the Brindabella Ranges on the banks of the magnificent Murrumbidgee River, an extensive conservation and restoration program has ensured Lanyon House is one of Australia’s premier historic properties. The precinct’s centrepiece, the 1859 Homestead, has been beautifully restored and furnished.
Launching the new Art Prize, Minister for the Arts, Tara Cheyne said “I am excited by the opportunities this prize offers local and regional artists in contributing to creative recovery from the last two and a half years. I encourage Canberra and regional artists, including those from diverse backgrounds and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, to participate.”
Chair of the Cultural Facilities Corporation, Helen O’Neil expressed, “This Art Prize allows the arts community to re-engage with Canberra’s historic sites, and interpret the unique attributes of these places, providing a window into the past while highlighting their contemporary relevance.”
The ACT Historic Places Art Prize is a regional, non-acquisitive competition and exhibition, and is open to works in any medium. An exhibition of finalists’ works will be held at Lanyon Homestead from July to October 2023. Entries are now open and close on Friday 5 May 2023.
Artists are invited to attend a site briefing to build their understanding of this iconic site, several sessions will take place over the summer - check the Historic Places website for registration info.
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Tara Cheyne, MLA | Media Releases