Press Release
Archibald Prize 06, Wynne & Sulman Prizes
Announcement of winners
Friday 24 March at 12 noon (media only)
Australia's most extraordinary art event, the Archibald Prize, first awarded in 1921, is one of this country's oldest and most prestigious art awards. Combined with the Wynne & Sulman Prizes, lively debate and controversy is assured.
The winners of all three prizes will be announced to the media only on Friday 24 March at 12 noon. The winner of the Archibald Prize receives $35 000, the Wynne Prize for landscape painting or figure sculpture $15 000, and the Sulman Prize for subject/genre painting and/or mural work $10 000. This is the first time Myer have sponsored the Archibald Prize.
"Myer is proud to partner with the Gallery to support Australian artists and preserve the memory of great Australians through the nation's most popular annual art exhibition. By sponsoring the Archibald Prize, Myer actively recognises the very important role art plays and acknowledges art's capacity to delight, to engage and to inspire," said Dawn Robertson, Managing Director, Myer.
The Packing Room Prize and announcement of artists shortlisted for all prizes
Thursday 16 March at 12 noon (media only)
The names of artists selected for the Archibald, Wynne & Sulman Prizes will be announced to the media only on Thursday 16 March at 12noon.
At the same time the Packing Room Prize will be announced. In addition to $500 cash, the winner will receive a $500 Myer gift card. This highly coveted prize is awarded by the hardworking people behind the scenes who receive, unpack and hang all the entries - around 2000 precious works of art. First awarded in 1991, the Packing Room Prize is adjudicated by the Gallery's storeman, Steve Peters - and with 51% of the voting rights, who ever said it was a democratically awarded prize?
The 2005 Packing Room Prize was won by Jason Benjamin for his portrait Bill Hunter.
Announcement of winners
Friday 24 March at 12 noon (media only)
The winners of the Archibald, Wynne & Sulman Prizes will be announced to the media only on Friday 24 March at 12 noon.
The exhibition will be on view to the public from Saturday 25 March to Sunday 28 May.
The People's Choice
Thursday 18 May at 12noon
Since 1988 the public has had the opportunity to vote for their favourite portrait in the Archibald exhibition. This year the winner of the 'People's Choice' will be announced on Thursday 18 May at 12 noon. Both the artist and a selected voter will be presented with $2500 cash and a $1000 Myer gift card.
The 2005 People's Choice was won by Nicholas Harding for Bob's daily swim.
The Archibald Prize
Jules François Archibald's primary aim, through his bequest of 1919, was to foster portraiture, as well as support artists, and perpetuate the memory of great Australians.
Amongst many controversies, these original aims have certainly been fulfilled and indeed many believe the Archibald Prize has done more than any other single event to stimulate and sustain public interest in the art of portrait painting in Australia.
The Archibald Prize was first awarded in 1921, and over the years some of Australia's prominent artists have won. Equally it is possible for a first time entrant to win. Some of the subjects of the winning works are not well known, others are celebrated in their fields. Some of the more prominent winning subjects have included literary luminaries 'Banjo' Patterson, Patrick White and Richard Flanagan, politicians including Paul Keating and Gough Whitlam, actors David Wenham, John Bell, Max Gillies and David Gulpilil, and musical virtusos such as Simon Tedeschi and Peter Sculthorpe.
The Archibald Prize is judged by the Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
The 2005 Archibald Prize was won by John Olsen for Self portrait Janus Faced.
The Wynne Prize
In the terms of the bequest of the late Richard Wynne of Mount Wilson who died in 1895, the Wynne Prize is awarded to what the judges consider to be the best landscape painting of Australian scenery in oils or watercolours, or for the best example of figure sculpture by an Australian artist.
It was first awarded in 1897, in honour of the official opening of the Art Gallery of New South Wales at its present site. Many winning paintings have become icons in Australian landscape painting, entering the collections of public art museums, and at least nine Wynne Prize winning entries have been purchased by the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The Wynne Prize is judged by the Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
The winner of the 2005 Wynne Prize was Jenny Sages for The road to Utopia.
Entries in the Wynne Prize are also considered by the judges for The Trustees' Watercolour Prize ($2,000) and for the John & Elizabeth Newnham Pring Memorial Prize ($250).
In 2005 The Trustees' Watercolour Prize was awarded to Noel McKenna for his Along the New England, Maitland to Murrundi.
The Sulman Prize
The Sulman Prize is awarded for the best subject painting, genre painting or mural project by an Australian artist. Established within the terms of the late Sir John Sulman's bequest, it was first awarded in 1936. This year's prize will be judged by Janet Laurence.
The winner of the 2005 Sulman Prize was Sandro Nocentini for My son has two mothers.
Winners of all prizes will be announced to media only
Friday 24 March 2006 at 12 noon
On View
Saturday 25 March to Sunday 28 May 2006
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery Road, The Domain, Sydney
Telephone (02) 9225 1744 or recorded information (02) 9225 1790
National toll free 1800 679 278
Website www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au
Hours
7 days a week 10am to 5pm (closed Easter Friday and Christmas Day)
open until 9pm on Wednesdays
Admission
$8 adults / $6 concessions/students/members
Media Information
Susanne Briggs
(02) 9225 1791 or
mobile 0412 268 320
susanneb@ag.nsw.gov.au
Claire Martin
(02) 9225 1734 or
mobile 0414 437588
clairem@ag.nsw.gov.au | 
