The biennial Manning Art Prize, formerly known as The Walkom Manning Art Prize, commenced in 1990 and ten Art Prizes have been  held between 1990 and 2011. All have generated considerable interest throughout the visual arts community and have featured entries from interstate, state and local area artists.

The Manning Art Prize has been credited by those involved as providing an important stimulus to the growth of excellence in the visual arts in the Manning Valley, as well as providing an opportunity to showcase the talents of participating artists.

The Art Prize remains a very effective partnership involving six different groups and organisations working towards a common outcome: The Friends of the Manning Regional Art Gallery who organise the Art Prize, the gallery volunteers who provide so freely of their time, the Art Gallery staff who organise entries and curate the exhibition, participating artists, Greater Taree City Council which has increasingly recognised the importance of the stimulus provided to the continuing cultural growth of the community and, of course, our sponsors and donors who provide the financial support funds the Art Prize.

Special acknowledgement is extended to Dr Philip and Mrs Dusty Walkom, Gallery Patrons and Principal Donors to the Art Prize, whose continuing support has enabled the Art Prize to grow and develop over the years since 1990.

The 2011 $10 000 major prize winning work, ‘The Adventures of Eu4ia and Utopia, No2 12am -11am’, a digital print on vinyl on aluminium by artist Malcolm Wallace is shown above. Works attracting the major prize are acquisitive and donated by the Friends of the Gallery to the Greater Taree City Art Collection, curated by the Manning Regional Art gallery.

PRIZE WINNERS OF THE 2011 MANNING ART PRIZE

$10,000 Major Acquisitive Prize – Malcolm Wallace “The Adventures of Eu4ia and Utopia, No 2. 12am to 1am” digital image on aluminium

$1000 2D Prizes – Alex Weltlinger “The Clash”, Nigel Killalea “Untitled”, Emily Windon “Painted Animism 18″

Highly Commended – Julie Slavin “The Crossing”, Rosie Herberte “After Dark at William Creek”

$1000 3D Prizes – Phil Greed “Pandanus”, Maria Ionico “Headstones”

Highly Commended – Jackie O’Connell “The Vessel”

The Packers’ Prize – Jane Wilson “Afraid of the ……”