Following a four-year hiatus, the Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award will be launched at SECCA (South East Centre for Contemporary Art) on Friday evening, 29 November.
Acting Gallery Director, Jasmin Brown said 50 finalists from almost 200 entries from across Australia have been selected for the highly regarded portraiture exhibition.
"The winner of the non-acquisitive award will receive $50,000, thanks to the ongoing generosity of Peter and David Hannan of the Hannan family and Shirley's niece, Lisa Herbert," Ms Brown said.
"A gifted Bega Valley portraitist herself, Shirley Hannan was a staunch supporter and generous patron of the arts and the biennial award, which has been running since 2002 is held in her memory.
"The calibre of work entered this year is incredibly high, presenting the judges - acclaimed artist Jude Rae, and independent curator, Dr Sarah Engledow - with a challenging task.
"The final selection of portraits is testament to the breadth of talent in this medium across Australia.
"We're proud to showcase these remarkable artworks at SECCA and provide a platform for the community to engage with and celebrate realistic portraiture.
"I'm sure visitors to the gallery will be struck by the uncannily accurate depictions of some well-known subjects the artists have chosen.
"We're also going to announce the winner of the inaugural Sherbies Kids Portrait Prize for young artists, whose artworks will be displayed in SECCA's Shirley Hannan Project Space."
The Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award 2024 launch event will run from 6pm to 8pm. The exhibition proper will open on Saturday 30 November and will continue to 1 February 2025.
This is a ticketed exhibition: $10 for adults, $7 concession, or summer multi-pass $25 (unlimited entry). Children and young people under 16 years have free entry.
Free entry to this exhibition for the community will be held on Saturday 14 December, with extended opening hours to 3pm.
The SECCA summer program includes the return of late-night programming and a wide array of creative workshops for adults and children. A number of free film screenings have been scheduled in partnership with the Bega Valley Commemorative Civic Centre, some of which are courtesy of the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.
For more information on the Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award or to check out the exciting summer program, visit the SECCA website.
