Art lovers flocked to the opening of the Basil Sellers Art Prize where Lexie Watt was announced as the winner of the $25,000 acquisitive prize for her pencil and watercolour 'Windblown trees Bombo Headland'.
Widely recognised as a career-defining moment, the award was presented to Ms Watt by patron Basil Sellers AM in front of a crowd of hundreds, saying she was humbled by the award.
"This painting took me 18 months to complete – on and off, on and off," Ms Watt says.
Ms Watt works across a large range of media – graphite watercolour, porcelain, ink, prints and bookmaking – and has illustrated six published children's books, writing one of them. Her art is grounded in the Australian Landscape.
"Particularly trees that have something to say … the more weathered and bent the better … I am fascinated by how the wind determines growth by twisting and entanglement," Ms Watt says.
Natalie Bateman takes out the $5,000 Eurobodalla Award for her acrylic 'Ochre Puddles'. This award spotlights the exceptional artistic talent to be found in Eurobodalla and surrounds. Ms Bateman is a self-taught Walbanja-Yuin artist who says family and culture are her life and the biggest influence on what she paints.
Senior curator of Australian Art at the Art Gallery of NSW Denise Mimmocchi judged the Prize, commending the winning works for their impact and craftmanship.
"I am so aware of the number of artists who participated and really acknowledge the amount of energy, angst and – I hope – enjoyment that goes into it," says Ms Mimmocchi.
Founded in 2004 as a local competition, the biennial prize has grown into a prestigious national award under the patronage of Basil Sellers. This year's competition attracted a record 485 entries, with the exceptional quality of submissions reflected in the curated selection of finalists on display.
This 20th-anniversary milestone marks a pivotal moment for the Basil Sellers Art Prize, with the team behind the exhibition extensively reviewing art-prize practice across Australia then implementing a cultural shift prioritising artists; setting a new benchmark and positioning the Basil Sellers Art Prize as a sector leader.
The whole exhibition process runs under the eagle eye of Eurobodalla Council's coordinator of creative arts development Indira Carmichael. She says all entrants, regardless of selection, have made not only a significant personal investment but a profound contribution to this year's Basil Sellers Art Prize. Ms Carmichael was delighted to hear patron Basil Sellers announce the 2026 edition of the Basil Sellers Art Prize would be set at $50,000.
The 2024 Basil Sellers Art Prize exhibition runs until Saturday 1 February 2025 at the Basil Sellers Exhibition Centre, open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm.
