The Needham Religious Art Prize was established in 1997 through the Anglican Parish of Mount Gambier, to encourage artists to interpret or portray an event character story or truth from the Bible.
The $5500 biennial art prize attracts challenging and thought-provoking entries from artists who draw inspiration from both the Old and the New Testament. Entries have come from South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia. Distinguished judges have been Giles Auty (1998, then national art critic for The Australian); Ben Gennochio (2000, art critic for The Australian); John McDonald (2002, then Head of Australian Art at the National Gallery of Australia); Frances Lindsay (2004, Deputy Director of NGV Australia); Dr. Ian George (2006, former Archbishop of Adelaide); and Barry Jones AO (2008, polymath and former Federal Government Minister).
Due to federal government
stimulus funding, Riddoch Art Gallery will be closed in 2010 for a
major redevelopment. The Needham Religious Art Prize 2010 has been
postposted until 2011. The next Needham Religious Art Prize will be held in March/April in
2011. Entry forms and further information will be available from July 2010.
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2008 Needham Prize Winner Shirley Purdie |