The Bluethumb Art Prize 2021 is bigger and better than ever! With $50,000 of cash prizes, double the overall winner’s prize money – $20,000 to be precise – and more opportunities for artists to cement their place in Australia’s art consciousness, this is the art prize to take artists’ careers to the next level.
2021 Winner
Loribelle Spirovski
Congratulations to our Bluethumb Art Prize Winner Loribelle Spirovski. The winning piece "Mirror into Mirror" took home the grand prize of $20,000.
“Painted in the middle of lockdown, the subject of this portrait is my husband Simon, who was the only person I was able to interact with for many months. Added to our isolation, we were in the process of moving house and I found myself viewing him as a mirror of my own isolation. The title is taken from Avo Pärt's minimalist composition 'Spigel im Spiegel', which translates into 'mirror into mirror'.
2021 Category Winners
2021 Category Runners-up
A$7,330
Bluethumb Art Prize History
2020 Winner
Hubert Pareroultja
Hubert Pareroultja of Iltja Ntjarra (Many Hands) Art Centre, a senior Western Arrarnta-Luritja man continuing the watercolour art movement of the Hermannsburg School, was the overall winner of the Bluethumb Art Prize 2020 and the winner of the Landscape Award.
“I feel his appreciation and comprehension of his own Motherland is something that no other artist can emulate,” Bluethumb Art Prize 2018 winner and 2020 judge Hyunji Kim commented on the winning landscape, Mt Giles, MacDonnell Ranges – Circular Landscape. “The mystic and subtle colour palette and the circle framing beautifully capture the ethereal spirit of the landscape.”
Bluethumb Art Prize History
2018 Winner
Hyunji Kim
Hyunji Kim, an artist working predominantly with painting from South Korea, won the overall Bluethumb Art Prize 2018 and the Works on Canvas Award with her portrait Painless (Luke).
“A compelling portrait that kept drawing me back. It captured a vulnerability and resignation that strongly evokes the uncertainty of formative years and experiences,” art prize judge and CEO of Contemporary Arts Precinct, Marcus Westbury, commented on the winning work.
Bluethumb Art Prize History
2017 Winner
Kirsten Sivyer
Kirsten Sivyer, a figurative oil painter from Albany, was the winner of the inaugural Bluethumb Art Prize in 2017.
Art prize judge Penny Griggs, General Manager of the South Australian Living Artists Festival, felt that the best element of the winning work, Home Away from Home, is its “beautiful use of light”. “The mood and glow created in this painting stand out for me. I just kept being drawn back to it.”
- 2020
- 2018
- 2017
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Our Partners
Thanks to our sponsors 1 Denison, Fantastic Framing and Eckersley’s Art & Craft, we’re able to offer more prizes than ever and a true once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our artists. All winners will receive cash prizes and be invited to exhibit at the hugely successful Bluethumb Art Prize Winners Exhibition at 1 Denison next year. Runners-up will receive a $500 Eckersley’s Art & Craft gift voucher to stock up on art supplies.
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Our Judges
The introduction of our all-star artist judging panel led to last year’s winners being arguably our best yet. Including some of Australia’s most-renowned artists, plus our reigning Bluethumb Art Prize holder, this year’s panel is diverse and qualified and will not only pick great winners, but continue to get our prize and our artists national attention. The finalists will be shortlisted by the Bluethumb selection panel before being handed over to our judges, including Head of Art Advisory Amélia Davis, Interior Designer Alexandra Stavrou and Bluethumb Art Prize Director Freddy Grant.
Ken Done
Australia's most famous living artist and national treasure
Kathrin Longhurst
Contemporary figurative artist and this year's Packing Room Prize winner
Hubert Pareroultja
Reigning Bluethumb Art Prize holder and winner of the 2020 Wynne Prize
Bronwyn Bancroft
The first Indigenous artist and fashion designer to show at Paris Fashion Week
The Prizes & Awards
This year we’re extending our categories to include sculpture and digital art. The standard of entries was so high last year that we’ve decided to introduce a runner-up award in each category to give more artists the chance to step into the spotlight, thanks to our sponsor Eckersley’s Art & Craft.
Plus we’re adding a new award, the Founders’ Award, judged by Bluethumb co-founders and brothers Edward and George Hartley. This prize is for large statement pieces, at least 1.5m on one side, as this is the most popular and in-demand artwork on Bluethumb.
Due to the ongoing uncertainty of holding events, again we’re hosting the awards ceremony virtually on Instagram Live on 18th November, building on our highly successful lockdown events. And thanks to our major sponsor 1 Denison, we’re continuing our new tradition of hosting a winners exhibition in early 2022 in their grand exhibition space.
Overall Winners
The category award winner with the highest overall score from our expert panel of judges will win the top cash prize. This year’s Bluethumb Art Prize is double the previous years’ prizes!
$20,000 Bluethumb Art Prize
Category Awards
All category winners will receive cash prizes and be invited to exhibit at the hugely successful Bluethumb Art Prize Winners Exhibition at 1 Denison next year. Runners-up will receive a $500 Eckersley’s Art & Craft gift voucher to stock up on art supplies.
Abstract Award: $3,000
Runner-Up sponsored by Eckersley’s Art & Craft: $500 Eckersley’s Art & Craft Voucher
Landscape Award: $3,000
Runner-Up sponsored by Eckersley’s Art & Craft: $500 Eckersley’s Art & Craft Voucher
Portrait Award: $3,000
Runner-Up sponsored by Eckersley’s Art & Craft: $500 Eckersley’s Art & Craft Voucher
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Award: $3,000
Runner-Up sponsored by Eckersley’s Art & Craft: $500 Eckersley’s Art & Craft Voucher
Still Life Award: $3,000
Runner-Up sponsored by Eckersley’s Art & Craft: $500 Eckersley’s Art & Craft Voucher
Photography Award: $3,000
Runner-Up sponsored by Eckersley’s Art & Craft: $500 Eckersley’s Art & Craft Voucher
Digital Award: $3,000
Runner-Up sponsored by Eckersley’s Art & Craft: $500 Eckersley’s Art & Craft Voucher
Sculpture Award: $3,000
Runner-Up sponsored by Eckersley’s Art & Craft: $500 Eckersley’s Art & Craft Voucher
Special Awards
The new Founders’ Award is judged by Bluethumb co-founders and brothers Edward and George Hartley. This prize is for large statement pieces, at least 1.5m on one side, as this is the most popular and in-demand artwork on Bluethumb. The People’s Choice award is voted for online by the public from the pool of finalists when they’re announced on 9th November and the winner is announced on 7th December.
Founders’ Award: $3,000
People’s Choice Award sponsored by Fantastic Framing: $3,000
Finalists
Click the button below to see all the finalists and vote for your five favourite artworks. Not only will you help the artists get one vote closer to winning our People's Choice Award, you'll also go in the running to win one of your favourite artworks valued up to $2,000.
All Entries
Sold ForA$1,200
