Mosman Art Gallery

The Mosman Art Prize is an annual, acquisitive award for painting sponsored by Mosman Municipal Council. Established in 1947, the Prize is one of the oldest and most prestigious, local government art awards in Australia. The winning works form a splendid collection of modern and contemporary art, reflecting developments in Australian art practice over the last half a century. The primary purpose of the Mosman Art Prize is to build a municipal art collection and to encourage an interest in the arts in the local community. Works from the collection are regularly displayed in the Mosman Art Gallery & Community Centre, Mosman Council and Mosman Library. The winner of the first Mosman Art Prize, judged by Lloyd Rees in 1947, was Margaret Olley. Subsequent Prize winners include many prominent artists such as Grace Cossington Smith, Weaver Hawkins, Nancy Borlase, Anthony Galbraith, Elisabeth Cummings, Janet Dawson, Jenny Sages, Tim Johnson, Adam Cullen and Tom Carment. This modest but unique art collection serves as a snapshot of Australian art over the past 50 years. Works are displayed in the Gallery on a regular basis, and in other Council buildings. A large majority of the art works consist of Mosman Art Prize winners since 1947. Other works have been donated or bequeathed to Mosman Council since its establishment.