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Gosford Art Prize

Gosford Art Prize was the first major art prize to be held in Gosford and continues to be the most popular art prize on the Central Coast.

The Gosford Shire Art Prize began in 1970 as a feature of the first ‘Venetian Carnival’, an arts and tourism event which would become known as the annual ‘Festival of the Waters’ held between 1970 to 1986. It was organised by the Gosford branch of the Arts Council of NSW, an association for encouraging artistic expression and appreciation of the arts across the region. Councillor Jim Tarbox and arts advocate Phyllis Bennett were among a small group of members instrumental in staging the Prize at that time. Acclaimed artist Sir Russell Drysdale, a Central Coast resident, was the first judge of the Prize and served as its Patron until 1979. Drysdale was most likely responsible for the appointment of other high-profile judges such as Daniel Thomas, then Curator of the Art Gallery of NSW and James Gleeson, Director of the National Gallery of Australia.

In the early years organisers struggled from year to year to find a suitable exhibition space. It was held at first in the Gosford Library, and subsequently in empty shops on Mann St, the Masonic Hall, the Gosford Music Society Hall, Laycock St, and even an open-air exhibition at the Gosford Waterfront. It was set up by local volunteer groups such as the Apex Club, the Lions Club, the Central Coast Art Society and the Central Coast Potters Society who were invited to manage the pottery section of the exhibition.

After a brief lapse from 1987 to 1990, the Prize was revived in 1991 by the Multi Arts Confederation (M.A.C.) headed by arts advocate Margaret Hardy. It was run from 1991 to 1993 as part of a one-day arts festival in Kibble Park, before finding its home at the newly constructed Arts Centre at Caroline Bay completed in 1994. From 1994 to 1997 it was known as the Gosford Sister City Art Prize before being renamed the Frog Hollow Gosford City Art Exhibition 1999.

Then in 2000 the Gosford Art Prize shifted house to the Gosford Regional Gallery, operated by the staff of the Gosford City Council and the Central Coast Council (following Council amalgamation in 2016). The Gosford Art Prize has been a fixture of the annual program of the Gallery ever since. Over the last 20 years it has rapidly expanded with an increasing number of entries and prize money. From the 48 paintings originally entered in 1970 the Prize now attracts well over 500 entries each year from around Australia

Past Winners (selected list) Gosford Art Prize

2024

Winner: Maree Azzopardi
Ceramics: Kelly Austin
Judges: Peter Goodwin & Libby Knott
2023

Winner: Remy Faint
Ceramics: Juz Kitson
Judges: John Cheeseman
2022

Winner: Claire Tozer
Ceramics: David Boyle
Judges: Emily Rolfe, Vicki Grima
2021

Winner: Nicolette Axiak and Jelena Sinik
Ceramics: Alan Adrian Mendoza
Judges: Glenn Barkley,, Cherie Johnson, Euan Macleod
2020

Winner: Catherine O’Donnell
Ceramics: Amanda Hale
Judges: Nicole Monks, Jane Watters, Portia Geech
2019

Winner: Jocelyn Maughan
Ceramics: Asahi So
Judges: Brian Stratton, Natalie Velthuyzen
2018

Winner: Stephanie Monteith
Ceramics: Keiko Matsui
Judges: Wendy Sharpe and Kim Spooner, Sandy Lockwood
2017

Winner: Dana Dion
Judges: Salvatore Zofrea, Jacqui Clayton
2016

Winner: Bronwyn van de Graaff
Ceramics: Clodagh Blackburn
Judges: Alan Jones, Kim Spooner, Paul Davis
2015

Winner: Pamela Honeyfield
Ceramics: Loretta Picone
Judges: Brenda Croft, Felicity Martin
2014

Winner: Pamela Honeyfield
Ceramics: Keiko Matsui
Judges: Andrew Frost
2013

Winner: Ronald Baer
Ceramics: Juz Kitson
Judges: Joe Eisenberg
2012

Winner: Lezlie Tilley
Ceramics: Keiko Matsui
Judges: Anthony Bond OAM
2011

Winner: Neil Taylor
Ceramics: Eleni Antoniou Holloway
Judges: Ron Ramsey
2010

Winner: Milanda de Mont
Ceramics: Amanda Hale
Judges: Rhonda Davies
2009

Winner: Evan Salmon
Ceramics: Karen Farrell
Judges: Damien Minton, Won Seok Kim
2008

Winner: Willemina Villari
Ceramics: Karen Farrell
Judges: Tony Geddes
2007

Winner: Philip Drummond
Ceramics: Fran James
Judges: Barry Pearce
2006

Winner: David Rose
Ceramics: Hidemi Tokutake
Judges: Joe Eisenberg
2005

Winner: Philip Drummond
Ceramics: Fran James
Judges: Michael Wardell
2004

Winner: Michael Chatteris
Ceramics: Lesley Weber
Judges: David Rex-Livingston, Julian Aalders
2003

Winner: Robin Norling
Ceramics: Ulla Hellman
Judges: Rod Milgate
2002

Winner: Lezlie Tilley
Ceramics: Annette Taylor
Judges: Debbie Abraham
2001

Winner: Robert Barnes
Ceramics: Dian Hall
Judges: Graham Austin
2000

Winner: Steve Woodbury
Ceramics: Joan Cole
Judges: Katrina Rumley
1994 to 1999

Winner: Prize awarded to Neale Joseph, Arthur Moody and others not recorded
1991 to 1993

Winner: Prize awarded to Agustin Aquino, Bela Ivanyi and Pauline Kuneman and others not recorded
1987 to 1990

Winner: No prize
1986

Winner: Rod Milgate
1985

Winner: Winner not recorded
Judges: Peter Laverty
1984

Winner: Winner not recorded
Ceramics: Greg Daly
1983

Winner: Winner ceramics: Annette de Jongh, Dianne Peach
Judges: Norman Glenn
1981

Winner: David Voigt
Judges: Barry Stern, Molly Grieve
1980

Winner: Winner not recorded
1979

Winner: Elizabeth Cummings
Ceramics: Beryl Barton
Judges: Andrew J. Fergusson, Bernard Sahm
1978

Winner: David Voigt
Judges: Ken Reinhard
1977

Winner: Winners: Ken Buckland and W. Salmon
Judges: Clem Millward
1976

Winner: Judy Cowell
Ceramics: Roger Keane, Shigeo Shiga
Judges: James Gleeson, Wanda Garnsey
1975

Winner: Francis Celtan
Ceramics: Peter Dobinson, Hildegarde Anstice
Judges: David Thomas, Margaret Tuckson
1974

Winner: Clem Millward
Ceramics: Roger Keane
Judges: Guy Warren, Janet Mansfield
1973

Winner: Mike Taylor
Ceramics: Janet Mansfield, Kathryn McMiles
Judges: Ivan Englund, Bernard Sahm
1972

Winner: Sally Robinson
Ceramics: Roger Keane, Gillian Grigg
Judges: Robin Norling, Ivan Englund
1971

Winner: Ludmilla Meilerts
Ceramics: Roger Keane, Ian Currie
Judges: Daniel Thomas
1970

Winner: Sheila McDonald
Judges: Russell Drysdale