STILL National Still Life Award is back for 2021!

Artists are invited to enter the STILL National Still Life Award 2021 as Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery announces its call for entries for the biennial, acquisitive award of $30,000 for the major winner and $5,000 for the People’s Choice.

Now in its third year and coinciding with the Gallery’s 20th Anniversary, STILL has developed a strong profile despite being a relative newcomer on the arts landscape, cementing Coffs Harbour’s place on the national arts map.

The contemporary art prize is open to all mediums and artists at all stages of their career, with the genre of still life offering fertile ground for the exploration of themes that pertain to our very existence.

“STILL National Still Life Award enables artists to dig deep into themes of life and death, the passage of time, the nature of objects and observations of our personal environments,” explains Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery’s Cath Fogarty.

“After a year of fires, floods, pandemics and time indoors during lockdown, we anticipate that this year’s finalists will be offering up some very interesting reflections on still life through their art making.”

As in 2017 and 2019, the gallery team is confident the award will attract hundreds of entries from around the country and will include sculpture, printmaking, installation, painting, ceramics, photography and video – all highlighting the diversity and vitality of still life in Australian contemporary art practice. It’s always a challenge to select the 50-60 finalists who make up the exhibition. It’s always a wonderful surprise to see the works entered for consideration.

Today the Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery continues to attract high profile judges for the award.

“Our upcoming judge in 2021 is Elizabeth Ann Macgregor OBE, Director of Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art. We are thrilled to be able to welcome her to Coffs Harbour in August for the judging and exhibition opening,” adds Ms Fogarty.

Ms Macgregor is renowned for her ongoing commitment to engaging new audiences for the work of living artists, successfully transforming the MCA into a thriving public gallery and securing major redevelopment including a National Centre for Creative Learning. Her contribution to the arts was recognised with the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award in 2008 and an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2011.

A signature event in the cultural calendar of the region, STILL National Still Life Award has a wide ranging audience demographic from curious community members to avid art lovers.

Entries are accepted online from 18 January and close 12 April. Artists can download the terms and conditions here and find out more at coffsharbour.nsw.gov.au/gallery