Women's Art Prize
International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future.
Each year, Randwick City Council hosts the Women's Art Prize, an art competition and exhibition in honour of International Women's Day. The competition is open to female artists, encouraging women to showcase their creative talents and recognises the important contribution women make to families, workplaces and communities.
Up to 150 artworks will be displayed at the Randwick Town Hall from Saturday 8 March to Monday 10 March . The top 50 artworks will be exhibited at the Lionel Bowen Library Gallery from Tuesday 18 March to Sunday 13 April during library opening hours.
Terms and Conditions 2025
Who can enter?
The Women’s Art Prize is open to artists who identify as women, including cisgender and transgender women, or as non-binary individuals who feel their lived experience aligns with the aims of the prize.
Entrants must appropriately identify with the pronouns she/her or they/them in alignment with the purpose of the Women’s Art Prize.
You must be aged 12 years and over and live, work, study or have some connection with the City of Randwick.
How do I enter?
Complete the online entry form through the link provided via Smarty Grants and submit by Friday 14 February 2025.
After you submit the entry form you will receive a confirmation email updating you with the relevant dates of the exhibition.
You will need to upload a photo of your artwork and provide a short description of the artwork as part of the application process.
Please ensure that your artwork has a unique name as we will not make any changes after your entry has been submitted.
Please note: You will need to create a new account with Smarty Grants and then proceed to complete the online entry form to enter the exhibition. If you require any assistance, please contact Kimberley Fernandes at kimberley.fernandes@randwick.nsw.gov.au
How do I drop off my artwork?
After entries close, you will receive an email which will include a link to book a time slot to drop-off your artwork on Friday 28 February between 2.00pm – 6.00pm or on Saturday 1 March from 2.00pm – 6.00pm at Randwick Townhall, 90 Avoca Street, Randwick.
Please make sure the artwork submitted is the same as the photo you have provided on your entry form.
What type of art can I enter?
There is a limit of one entry per person and late entries will not be accepted.
Visual art can only be entered and must be original work by you within the last year. Artworks may be drawing, painting, photography, collage, sculpture, installation or digital.
AI Generated artwork submissions; must be 70% artist contribution. We require that AI is used as a tool rather than as the primary creator.
Digital artwork entry must be submitted through Smarty Grants at the time of application, and it will be displayed on a screen at the exhibition. Digital artwork will not include movies/clips longer than 60 seconds
Please note: Collaboration with only Female identifying artists in case artwork has multiple collaborators.
Artwork previously entered in the competition cannot be re-entered.
This competition is capped to 150 entries due to space restrictions. Please ensure you get your entry in as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
What is the theme?
There is no theme for this art prize.
How big can my entry be?
Maximum size of 1 artwork accepted is 1 metre heigh by 1 metre wide including the frame and no more than 10 kilograms in weight. Paintings on canvas need not be framed but must be properly stretched with D-rings (image below) or screw eyes screwed into stretcher sides 100mm from the top. Works on paper including photographs must be framed in a picture frame.
Note: Artworks not suitably prepared will be rejected on the day if they don’t meet the requirements.
Will my artwork be safe?
All care is taken with artworks however Council cannot be held responsible for any theft or damage. All responsibility remains with the artist. Council does not insure works in transit, storage or on exhibition.
What happens if I win?
All entrants are invited to Randwick Town Hall, 90 Avoca Street, Randwick on Saturday, 8 March 2025 from 2.30pm – 4.30pm for the Award Ceremony.
You will be contacted if your work is shortlisted. If you are contacted, please make yourself available to attend the award ceremony.
Note: The judges' decisions are final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
How do I get my entry back?
Artworks are to be collected from Randwick Town Hall on Monday 10 March between 2.00pm to 8.00pm. However, if your artwork is selected for exhibition at the Lionel Bowen Library, it can be collected from the Lionel Bowen Library, 669 Anzac Parade, Maroubra on Monday 14 April between 9.30am and 8.00pm
Please note: Randwick City Council will not be responsible for uncollected works, provide storage, or return them. Any works not collected on the specified dates will be disposed of.
Categories & Prizes
Prize categories, including a People’s Choice Award, which is a single prize of $500, will be announced at the end of the exhibition and would be posted on Randwick City Council socials.
Youth - Young women and girls from 12 to 17 years of age living in Randwick LGA
Local - Open to women 18 and over who live, study or work in the Randwick LGA
Open - Open to anyone with a connection to Randwick LGA
| Youth | Local | Open | Councillor's Choice | People's Choice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Prize - $1250 | 1st Prize - $1500 | 1st Prize - $1000 | 1st Prize - $1000 | $500 |
| 2nd Prize - $500 | 2nd Prize - $500 | 2nd Prize - $500 | 2nd Prize - $150 |
Exhibition Dates
Randwick City Council is authorised to display entries in the Randwick Community Centre on the following dates:
| Exhibition Dates | Time |
|---|---|
| Award Ceremony - Saturday, 8 March 2025 | 2.30pm to 4.30pm |
| Sunday, 9 March | 9.00am to 2.00pm |
| Monday, 10 March | 9.00am to 1.45pm |
| Exhibition at Lionel Bowen Library – Tue 18 March to Sun 13 April | During Library Hours |
The selected top 50 will be exhibited at the Lionel Bowen Library Gallery from Tuesday 18 March 2025 to Sunday 13 April 2025.
You will be notified by Council staff after the award presentation if your artwork has been selected. Entrants must give permission for their artwork to be photographed for promotional purposes.
2025 Winners
Youth Category
1st Prize - The unseen by Ebony Kennedy
2nd Prize - Tomorrow starts with you by Tahlia McMaster
Local Category
1st Prize - The way the sky rubs against the sea by Wen Pei Low
2nd Prize - Gentrification Stole My Fence by Cassie Derrick
Open Category
1st Prize - Cockatoo Circus by Eleanor Godley
2nd Prize - Reweaving HerStory by Melanie Mishra
Councillor's Choice
1st Prize - Endless Summer at Wylie's Baths by Clare Tradgett
2nd Prize - FREAK! by Tallulah Eaton Lipman
People's Choice Award
Following closely, never straying by Zoe Jones
2024 Prize Winners
Youth category
1st ($1,250)
Portrait of Peace by Kaja Sophia Damodaran (pictured below)
Youth category
2nd ($500)
I See Me. Do You? By Lucille Giraud (artwork pictured below)
Local category
1st ($1500)
Waiting by Kate Mulheron (pictured below)
Local category
2nd ($500)
Sunset Dreams by Jasmin Yip (pictured below)
Open category
1st ($1000)
Tony by Ann Cahill (artwork pictured below)
Open category
2nd ($500)
Paper Daisies by Julie Mathews (pictured below)
Councillors’ Choice category
1st ($300)
Scenes of 3 short digital animations by Jacqui North.
2nd ($150)
My Colourful Mum by Ruby Levitt.
People’s Choice category
1st ($200)
Winner will be announced at the end of the exhibition period on Randwick City Council social media channels.
2023 Prize winners
Open category
Tied 1st prize: ‘Morning Swimmers’ by Anne Cahill and ‘Chinoiserie and Cactus Flower’ by Natasha Ruffio
2nd Prize: ‘Painting, Watching, Sitting’ (appropriation of Philip Guston's "Painting, Smoking, Eating", 1972) by Charlie Kennedy-Wade.
Youth category
1st Prize: ‘For Juliana’ by Natalie Townsend
2nd Prize: ‘My DNA’ by Natalie Bateman
Local category
1st Prize: ‘Earth Equilibrium’ by Angela Nashaat
Councillor Choice Award
1st Prize: ‘Big Hat’ by Desanka Aleksovska
2nd Prize: ‘Everything Else is Brown’ by Zoe Jones
People's Choice Award
Tied 1st prize: “Big waves at the Mahon Pool” by Christine Langdon and ‘Morning Swimmers’ by Anne Cahill
Open category
Tied winner: ‘Morning Swimmers’ by Anne Cahill
Prize: $1500
Judge’s comments:
This work was stunning. Depicting a group of early morning swimmers in a local rock pool the work captures time and a sense of place. Its high technical skill and ability to render light which places this work amongst the highest calibre of impressionist works.
Tied winner: ‘Chinoiserie and Cactus Flower’ by Natasha Ruffio
Prize: $1500
Judge’s comments:
There’s something strong and delicate in this artwork; it references Japanese and Asian art in its plasticity and perceptive but is also very much of this place. It feels like an allegory on many levels.
Runner-up: ‘My DNA’ by Natalie Bateman
Prize: $500
Judge’s comments:
This is a powerful, personal piece that speaks to cultural strength and also of exploring identity. Visually beautiful, the combination of dot painting over flat background brings a depth pf meaning to this strong statement of identity.
Youth category
Winner: ‘For Juliana’ by Natalie Townsend
Prize: $350
Judge’s comments:
This digital artwork fits within the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day - the DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality. It depicts a young woman with hair swept back confidently meeting the stare of the viewer. Around her neck and dĂ©colletage are three cats in play. The composition and the sitter’s pose and selecting of subjects leans on Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and his intent to show links between the cosmos and nature. By appropriating Leonardo’s manner and style, the artist takes a feminist stance through the female gaze therefore subverting established patriarchal art cannons.
Runner-up: ‘Painting, Watching, Sitting’ (appropriation of Philip Guston's "Painting, Smoking, Eating", 1972) by Charlie Kennedy-Wade.
Prize: $150
Judge’s comments: The unusual jagged composition caught our eye. The work technically very strong, quirky and moving. It feels very authentic and contemporary, addressing themes of mental health.
Local category
Winner: ‘Earth Equilibrium’ by Angela Nashaat
Prize: $1500
Judge’s comments: This impressive, high-quality collage shows how illustrative arts are an effective artistic approach to increasing awareness of current philosophical and political considerations. This critical post-humanist work crosses the nature/culture divide, nation/state borders, and champions more-than human beings.
Councillor's Choice Award
Winner: ‘Big Hat’ by Desanka Aleksovska
Prize: $300
Judge’s comments:
Congratulations Desanka, the skill and composition of this painting drew us in immediately. It reminded us of the rocks along one of Randwick’s iconic beaches in Maroubra or Coogee. It is a really touching depiction of quality time spent together rambling on the rocks on a summery afternoon but also sharing silence.
Runner-up: ‘Everything Else is Brown’ by Zoe Jones
Prize: $150
Judge's comments:
We kept being drawn back to ‘Everything Else is Brown’ after viewing all the works.
In this painting we saw a reference to Australian artist John Brack’s iconic painting Collins St at 5pm from the 1950s. Collins St at 5pm was inspired by Brack’s own feelings of dread and drudgery working the nine-to-five office lifestyle. But the painting is also a tribute to an enduring sense of individuality.
Zoe’s painting places a girl in pink centre stage, holding her bright-eyed cat and displaying a bold individuality and resilience contrasting with the dreary but also brutal drudgery in the day to day. We found this especially thoughtful as it was the work of a young artist.
2022 Prize winners
12-19 Years old category
1st prize: Niranjana Ghosh for ‘Joker’
2nd prize: Emelia O’Leary for ‘Working Conditions for Women Making Garments in the third World’
3rd prize: Jasmine Miller, for ‘COVID City’
Councillor’s choice: Jessica Mang for ‘Mistress’
20 Years and over category
1st prize: Elena Guerrero for ‘The ship I arrived in’
2nd prize: Aileen Anderson for ‘Between the Lines’
3rd prize: Anne Ring for ‘The Couple’
Councillor’s choice:
Tanya Duckworth for ‘Dames d’Heremes: Selle des steppes’
2021 Prize winners
12-19 Years old category
1st - Gabrielle Collins, Brigidine College Randwick, For "My Indeigenous and Egyptian Identity"
2nd - Niamh Robb, Brigidine College Randwick, For "Emote"
3rd - Ellen Chiem, age 13, For "Now and Us"
20 Years and over category
1st prize - Philipa Granwal, for "My Daughter's Bedside Table"
2nd prize - Lucy Deverall, for "Submerge"
3rd prize - Alana Best, for "Somewhere 2"
Councillors' Commendation
Each year a Councillors' prize is awarded, which is judged by Councillor Kathy Neilson, Councillor Lindsay Shurey and Councillor Alexandra Luxford. For the first time in eight years of judging, the councillors couldn't come to a conclusion on who should be awarded their prize, so two joint winners were declared and awarded to:
Chelsea De Jong, OLSH Kensington, for "Bondi Blues"
Patricia Maradno, Brigidine College, for "In Hand"
