Wollongong Art Prize

6 December - 1 March 2026

The Wollongong Art Prize first dazzled the local arts scene in 1956, long before Wollongong Art Gallery was established in 1978, and continuing on-and-off until the present. In its early years, it celebrated artistic brilliance with prize-winning acquisitions for Wollongong City Council including Col Jordan, James Hall and Lorraine Holmes cementing its place as a cherished cultural tradition.

Wollongong Art Gallery has carried the torch of this legacy, hosting the prize in various incarnations, including FLOW Contemporary Watercolour Prize. Now, the Wollongong Art Prize is making a triumphant return. This reimagined competition embraces a bold, contemporary vision, welcoming artists across all mediums with a focus on access, inclusivity, and community.

The stakes are higher than ever!  The acquisitive top prize (affectionately dubbed The Top Gong for the Gong) is $25,000. Local talent won’t go unnoticed, with the Wollongong Art Gallery Friends offering a local artist award of $5,000, while art lovers get their say with a $2,000 People’s Choice Award.

Get ready to be part of the Illawarra’s next great artistic chapter!

Presented by Wollongong Art Gallery.

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Image: Natalya Hughes, Blue girl in the sun (detail), 2023, gouache and acrylic on cold pressed paper, 88 x 100 cm. Collection Wollongong Art Gallery, Winner FLOW Contemporary Watercolour Prize 2023.