The Fleurieu Biennale Art Prize offers two main prizes of $20,000 each and is now open for entries.

The 2020 theme is Of the Earth, and Australian artists aged 18 years and over are invited to submit their two and three-dimensional artistic interpretations of the theme across multiple platforms and disciplines (with the exclusion of digital media or ephemeral matter).

The artworks must have been produced after 1 January 2019 and must not have been shown previously.

In 2020, the first $20,000 prize is for 2D entries, and the second for sculpture (3D).

The Fleurieu Biennale Art Prize is a non-acquisitive prize, held, as its name suggests, every two years. 

This year marks the 21st anniversary of the establishment of the Fleurieu Biennale by McLaren Vale artist David Dridan and wine personalities Greg Trott and Tony Parkinson.

This year’s judges are: Debbie Pryor, an artist, curator and writer trained in ceramics and glass who is the current Artistic Programs Manager Guildhouse (SA); Greg Healey, an artist - largely inspired by metalwork - who jointly founded Groundplay Pty Ltd, which designs creative urban infrastructure projects; and Maria Zagala, the current Acting Curator of International Art, pre 1980, and Associate Curator of Prints, Drawings and Photographs at the Art Gallery of South Australia.

Shortlisted works will be chosen by a selection panel of arts industry professionals. All shortlisted finalists will be invited to submit artworks to be exhibited in McLaren Vale from 13 June-19 July, 2020. 

The finalists will be shown at the Stump Hill Gallery at the McLaren Vale and Fleurieu Visitor Information Centre, the Fleurieu Arthouse, and Hardy's Tintara Sculpture Park.

The winning artworks will be selected from the finalists exhibited.

A People's Choice award of $3000 will be awarded at the end of the exhibition to the most popular artwork, as voted by the public.

Entries close 5pm Friday 3 April and finalists will be announced Monday 27 April.

For information including entry terms and conditions, visit the website.