I'm a finalist in the 2020 Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize

There are some art prizes that you dream of being finalist in and for me and the Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize is one of them.

Working with cherry and walnut wood, card and overpainted paper, this work is called The Impossible Journey Home. Essentially it’s our home in Braidwood, Australia and my brother-in-law’s and his wife’s house in Seattle, USA, separated by impassable mountains.

I created it when all of Seattle was in lock-down in March 2020 and my husband and I were looking at our options. The idea of being in danger and so far from home was bruising. It’s probably one of my favorite pieces and it has kept me company in the studio, throughout the pandemic and has become a bit of a comfort for me.

It’s already boxed, ready to be shipped to Woollahra in Sydney. Official news release is below. Congratulations to all the other finalists!

20th Anniversary Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize Finalists announced.

The Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize, presented by Woollahra Council, has announced 56 emerging and established artists as finalists for the 20th annual Prize and exhibition. The 2020 finalist works, by artists from Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and Italy, will be presented for the first time in the Woollahra Council’s new purpose-built gallery space as its inaugural exhibition opening in early 2021.

The 56 finalist artist sculptures – each measuring up to 80cm in any dimension – were selected from a record 844 entries by a judging panel comprised of Director Curatorial and Digital, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia Dr Lara Strongman, Art Historian/Curator and Industrial Archaeologist Joanna Capon OAM and celebrated artist and fashion designer Jenny Kee AO.

Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize 20th anniversary judge Lara Strongman said: “This year’s selection of small sculptures represents a snapshot of the great diversity of art practice in Australia today. From glorious kitsch to conceptual rigour, by way of politics and humour, the Award is a showcase for the creativity of Australian artists—both established and emerging.”

The exhibition will be on view, free to the public, in early 2021 in the new gallery space, Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf. To mark the 20th anniversary there will be an increased total prize pool of $29,000 across four categories. The Prize categories are the main Acquisitive award of $25,000; a Special Commendation award of $2,000; the Viewers’ Choice award of $1,000; and the Mayor’s Award of $1,000.

Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize 20th anniversary judge Joanna Capon OAM commented, “I was impressed by the quality and diverse themes of the entries in a number of different media which embraced a variety of references including the pandemic, ecology, hope and humour.”

Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize 20th anniversary judge Jenny Kee added: “I loved the creativity, quality & amazing diversity!“

The 20th anniversary Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize finalist artists are: Christine Appleby (ACT) Tamara Baillie (SA) Jacqueline Blight (VIC) Mechelle Bounpraseuth (NSW) Lauren Brincat (NSW) Clare Britton (NSW) Lisa Carrett (NSW) Emma Coulter (VIC) Kate Coyne (NSW) Carol Lehrer Crawford (NSW) Beth Croce (VIC) Anne Delaney (NSW) Jan Downes (NSW) Ann Ferguson (VIC) Jason Fitzgerald (QLD) Natalie Guy (NZ) Michael Harrell (NSW) Sam Harrison (CAN) Shaun Hayes (ACT) Jenny Herbert-Smith (NSW) Sue Hoare (VIC) Kate Howard (VIC) Cara Johnson (VIC) Jules Jones (NSW) Lisa Jones (NSW) Maria Teresa Kuczynska (NSW) Jo Lane (VIC) Barbara Licha (NSW) Keith MacDonald (VIC) Samantha Mackie (NSW) Stuart McLachlan (NSW) Lilach Mileikowski (VIC) Ray Monde (NSW) Josh Muir (VIC) Elena Murgia (NSW) Mika Nakamura-Mather (QLD) Christina Newberry (NSW) Philip Noakes (WA) Denese Oates (NSW) Amanda Page (VIC) Seungwan Park (ITL) Michelle Perrett (NSW) Sandra Pitkin (NSW) Rodney Pople (NSW) Lisa Porter (UK) Caroline Rothwell (NSW) Rhonda Sharpe (NT) Patricia Smart (NSW) Scotty So (VIC) Crystal St Clair Gilmore (NSW) Jess Taylor (SA) Jane Theau (NSW) Diane Thompson (VIC) Debbey Watson (NSW) David Wood (NSW) Caroline Wright (NSW).