The winners of Australia’s largest and most prestigious Indigenous art awards will be announced tonight in Darwin, with everyone taking home a piece of what is currently the richest art prize in the country.
Core items:
- The prize pool for the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards doubled this year to $190,000
- The overall winner will take home $100,000, an award that now has the same value as the Archibald Portrait Prize
- The awards recognize new work from across the country and visual art styles, from the very traditional to the modern and experimental
The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards accept entries from across Australia and all forms of fine art, from bark paintings and traditional weaving to digital works and sculpture.
This year, the overall winner will be awarded $100,000, aligning best gong with first prize in the annual Archibald Awards.
It’s a recognition that curator and Arabana, Mualgal and Wuthathi wife Rebekah Raymond is “over the moon” that the artists involved are being paid.
“I find [the increased prize money] really shows a commitment to celebrating these artists,” she said.
“It demonstrates an understanding that the vibrancy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art practice is on a global scale and the prize pool must respect and reflect that.”
Six other winners in each category will take home $15,000, an amount tripled this year by longtime award sponsor Telstra.
The $190,000 total is the largest for an art award in Australia.
Dozens of finalists from hundreds of entries – and seven winners
The winners will be announced at a gala event in Darwin on Friday night to coincide with the opening of the two-week Darwin Festival.
A three-person jury narrowed down more than 200 entries to 63 finalists who were installed together for the annual – free – Blockbuster exhibition at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT).
“Broaden Practices, Push Boundaries”
Among the finalists, a winner will be selected for the overall award as well as six categories including:
- General Prize for Painting
- Bark painting price
- Works on Paper Award
- Wandjuk Marika 3D price
- multimedia award
- Emerging Artist Award
In its 38th year, NATSIAA has celebrated some of the biggest names and most influential figures in the art world, from Djambawa Marawili and Betty Muffler to Vincent Namatjira and Kaylene Whiskey.
While the stories and techniques behind some of the bark painting, weaving and carving are ancient and traditional, Ms Raymond said it’s a mistake to think that only the younger artists are experimenting and innovating.
“There have been amazing innovations in bark painting, especially by older ladies [from north east Arnhem Land],” She said.
“These are contemporary works – they continue art that has always been there, but they expand practices, they push boundaries.
Seen online winning People’s Choice Award
This year’s exhibition will be accessible online again, which has been the case since the first year of the pandemic.
The NATSIAAs and other key events during the Darwin Festival draw crowds to the Top End every dry season.
But prospective gallery-goers who can’t travel interstate are missing out — unlike other major awards like the Archibald, the NATSIAA isn’t yet a touring show.
Ms Raymond said the virtual gallery has been a success and the second best thing available – for now.
“It’s not a match, but it’s a way to push boundaries and really open up audiences, not just nationally but globally,” she said.
“For me, I think touring and sharing works is an important way to connect with more people and for people to understand how important these works are.”
After the jury has announced their selection, the audience can also have a say about their favorite works.
Voting for the NATSIAA People’s Choice Award is open until the end of the show next January.