Key 2026 Dates
Wattle Range Art Exhibition Opening Night
Friday, 27 November 2026
Wattle Range Art Exhibition
From 27 November 2026 to 25 January 2027
The Wattle Range Art Exhibition
Since 2015, entries have grown from 150 to over 200 annually, with more than $12,000 in prize money. The exhibition continues to showcase exceptional regional talent and remains a highlight on the arts calendar.
Entries are received from artists as far afield as Canberra, Western Victoria, and Limestone Coast through to Adelaide. The quality and variety of the work was outstanding with the Exhibition capturing the taste and interest of most people. With portraiture to landscape, industrial to textiles, found objects to ceramics and abstract to traditional there was something to suit all tastes. Over 2000 people including many groups from throughout the Limestone Coast and Western Victoria visited the Gallery.
To be considered for the Wattle Range Art Prize, artworks must relate to at least one of the following themes:
- Landscapes: Depicting or interpreting scenes of Wattle Range
- Portraits: People of Wattle Range
- Nature & Wildlife: Including animals native to Wattle Range
- Submitting an entry Submitting an entry
- Terms and Conditions Terms and Conditions
- Categories and Prizes Categories and Prizes
- Download and fill in the 2026 Wattle Range Art Exhibition Entry Form (PDF 810.0 KB)
- Deliver you entry to the Millicent Art Gallery with the entry form by Saturday 21 November 2026
- Attend the Exhibition opening night on Friday 27 November 2026
- Artwork entries due 14 November, 2026.
- Delivery of art work to Millicent Library Gallery by Saturday 21 November 2026.
- Maximum of Five (5) Artworks per artist.
- Entry Fee of $10 per artwork.
- No fee for youth.
- No photographic works.
- 2D Artworks must be presented ready to hang in the gallery (size should be no larger that 2m x 2m)
- 3D Artworks must be portable.
- Artwork must be completed within the last three years.
- Each piece entered must be clearly labelled, filled out and attached to the back lower section of the work and ready to hang.
- The Gallery retains 20% commission for all works sold except for youth works.
- Artworks must remain on display for the duration of the exhibition and collected after
if not sold. - The Gallery reserves the right to refuse any Artwork considered unsuitable, or does not comply with the rules.
- The results as determined by the judges are final and no discussion will be entered into.
- The Gallery takes no responsibility for Artworks damaged or lost during the exhibition.
- All insurance of the Artworks is the responsibility of the Artist.
- This Exhibition is Non Acquisitive and winning Artwork may be for sale.
- Artwork prices must be nominated by artists.
Overall, First Prize | $5,000 | Painting (2D) |
Printmaking & Drawing | 3D Art |
Art Textile Prize | Mixed Media |
Mayoral & Youth Awards | First Time Entrant Award |
The Wattle Range Art Exhibition celebrated its 10th anniversary on Friday, 28 November, attracting more than 200 attendees. A total of 288 entries filled the Millicent Library and Gallery, presenting a vibrant mix of works by established artists, talented youth, and first-time entrants – highlighting the creativity and future of the region’s arts community.
Mayor Des Noll said the strong youth competition was a standout.
“Our youth artists bring fresh ideas and new perspectives, and it’s wonderful to see them exhibiting alongside established practitioners. I’m proud of every young entrant who has contributed to this milestone year.”
Since its launch in 2015, the exhibition has grown from 130 works to more than 200 entries annually, drawing artists from across South Australia and Victoria. Judges Saskia Scott and Cate Cracknell praised the exhibitions depth, high standard of talent and professionalism, and the strong engagement from artists and the wider community.
Anne Miles won the prestigious Wattle Range Art Prize and the Drawing and Printmaking Award for her work Banksia Heaven, praised for its layered colours and subtle textures capturing banksia blooms. Local artist Peter Dunn won the Painting Award for Tantanoola Caves, a contemporary exploration of the region’s caves in rich golden hues.
Robe artist Jo Jo Spook won the 3D Sculpture Award for Love at First Sight, a playful commentary on the intersection of the man-made and natural worlds. Briony Pridham received the Ceramics Award for her balanced vessel and beautiful abstract drawings When the Limestone Country Sings III, while Jo Fife’s Red Algae won the Textile Art Award, its fragile threads casting delicate shadows. Kristi Biezaite’s One Hundred Kilometres of Solitude won the Mixed Media Award for its innovative combination of stitching, printing, drawing, textiles, and household objects.
Diana Ashworth’s Mt Burr Beginnings received the Mayoral Award, and first-time entrant Max Burnett was celebrated as the First Time Entrant Winner. Ryan Ojeda (Primary) and Max Bobbington (Secondary) won the Youth Awards, reflecting a notable increase in youth participation.
Mayor Des Noll said the exhibition’s tenth anniversary marks an important milestone for the district, noting it showcases the creativity and spirit of the community.
“This exhibition reflects who we are. Each artwork tells a story of our places and our people. I am proud of the artists, volunteers, and staff who make this event such a highlight for Wattle Range every year.”
Winner | Runner Up | Third | Highly Commended | |
Wattle Range Art Prize
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Anne Miles Banksia Heaven |
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Painting
| Peter Dunn Tantanoola Caves | Julie Kent Washing Day | Di Ashworth Slaughter House Road | Mignon Clift Ode to Miss Wallace |
Drawing and Printmaking | Anne Miles Banksia Heaven | Stella Scanlon Glencoe Forest | Jenn White Hope for the Hoodies | Trudy Tanberg Light house Canunda |
3D/Sculpture
| JoJo Spook Love at First Sight | Dagny Strand Sea Spoons |
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3D/Ceramic
| Briony Pridham When Limestone country sings III | Karen Talanskas Rhythms of the Earth | Sheryl Sharp Running with the Foxes |
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Mixed Media
| Kristi Biezaite One Hundred Kilometres of Solitude | Jo Jo Spook Layers of Land | Marg Hage Sunday Walk 1932 Julie Ann McEwen Wattle Range dunes & Swales | |
Textile Art
| Jo Fife Red Algae | Jude Niemiec Gardens 1: Cascades |
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Youth - Primary | Ryan Ojeda Futuristic Millicent | Edith Stephan Black Cockatoos flying over Wattle |
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Youth - Secondary | Max Bobbington Lizzy | Lacy Grist V2-Moo |
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Mayoral | Diana Ashworth Mt Burr Beginnings |
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First Time entrant
| Mark Burnett |
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Packers Prize | Sandra Stewart |
2024 Wattle Range Art Exhibition
A record 250 entries were received for The Wattle Range Art Exhibition and were exhibited in the main gallery and into the recently renovated second gallery and the library. The exhibition was opened before an exceptional crowd of over 200 people. The Penola High School art classes were the feature school in the gallery/library and their teacher Cate Bell is to be commended for their very fine portraiture.
Judges Leah Grace, Arts and Cultural Development Officer Alexandrina Council and Stephanie Markerink who has recently joined the Art Gallery of SA Team, two very credentialed judges were most appreciative of the art and the artists who exhibited.
In opening the Exhibition Mayor Des Noll said “Wattle Range Council has always supported the arts and understands the positive impact the arts make on our lives and our communities and congratulated all the artists on the diversity and quality of the art and announced the Mayoral prize winners: Libby Altschwager and Sophie Tilley.
Millicent artists Dale Bishop won the prestigious Wattle Range Art Prize with his classical landscape painting, an oil - Stone farm buildings a realistic representation of buildings and the countryside across Wattle Range. The judges commented on his fine techniques and attention to detail and movement. Penola artist Dagny Strand won the Painting category with a very contemporary painting of a lonely homeless man encased in a frame made from cardboard, Seen around town, providing a visual commentary on homelessness international and local and the Mixed Media category with Comes out in the Wash using found objects and plastic bags. Beachport artist Fiona Pattinson was runner up with Terra Rossa Coonawarra. Libby Altschwager won the Mayoral award and the Printmaking and Drawing category, for Potato Diggers Hut, Tantanoola, a delicate drawing and collage of a derelict potato diggers hut on Searle’s property. Penola artist Marg Hage won the Art Textile category with a beautiful stitched small piece, Down under, fresh growth. Local youth Sophie Tilley won the Mayoral Youth award with her pastel of a flower – Succulent.
This exhibition reflects the active and extensive group of artists and community from across Wattle Range, the Limestone Coast, Western Victoria through to Melbourne and Adelaide who support the gallery and Wattle Range Exhibition.
Winner | Runner Up | Third | Highly Commended | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Wattle Range Art Prize | Dale Bishop Stone farm buildings | |||
Painting | Dagny Strand Seen around town | Meagan Lonsdale Ginger locks | Shaun Trask Hidden away | JoJo Spook Lost |
| Drawing and Printmaking | Libby Altschwager Potato diggers hut – Tantanoola | Fiona Pattinson Terra Rossa Coonawarra | ||
3D/Sculpture | Brioni Pridham Lagoon baby | Karen Talanskas Sculpted poppy heads | ||
Mixed Media | Dagny Strand Comes out in the wash | Ruby Donovan Rhodophyta | ||
Textile Art | Marg Hage Down under, fresh growth | Chrissy Pudney Southend sunset | ||
Youth | Lachy Clyne and Emma Pinchbeck Tractor with plough | Ashton Giles Pops EH | ||
| Mayoral | Libby Altschwager Potato diggers hut – Tantanoola | |||
Mayoral - Youth | Sophie Tilley Succulent | Jaxon Pittard A hut in the pines | Lucy Pittard Sunset over Millicent hills | |
| First time entrant | Sandra Hobson | |||
| Packers Prize | Meagan Lonsdale Dare you |
Barbara Wallace Art Prize featuring Ceramics is a category within the Wattle Range Art Show, celebrating Barbara’s favourite medium and one in which she excelled, travelling internationally and throughout Australia.
This art prize commemorates the outstanding contribution that Barbara Wallace made in promoting the arts and crafts within the South East.
Barbara, a talented craftsperson herself, is remembered not only for her inspiring work, but for her tireless encouragement to all involved in the arts and in particular for her role in organising craft exhibitions and in encouraging artists/craft persons to participate and expand their skills both locally and within the wider community.
At the entrance to the Millicent Gallery is a fine collection of ceramics which depicts the development and innovation of her work
