Central Belonging Art Award 2026
15 May to 14 June 2026
Central Belonging Art Award is an art prize exhibition that represents the rich diversity of the artistic communities around and within the Central West region.
It showcases established and emerging artists that are local to Cowra Shire and the surrounding areas. Artists from the following local government areas are part of the finalist exhibition: Bathurst, Bland, Blayney, Cabonne, Cowra, Forbes, Hilltops, Lachlan, Lithgow, Mid-Western Region, Oberon, Orange, Parkes, Upper Lachlan and Weddin.
The exhibition is an opportunity to explore the passions, imagination and inspiration of the Central West creatives. It presents a range of disciplines and media, including painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, ceramics, textiles and printmaking.
The exhibition is supported by the Cowra Regional Art Gallery Advisory Committee. Artworks in the exhibition are for sale and the public can vote for a favourite work. The first prize of $2,000 and a second prize of $1,000 are funded by private donations. Funded by the Art Gallery Trust, the winner of the People’s Choice Award will receive $500.
Central Belonging Art Award celebrates what it means to be part of the vibrant ‘Cowra and beyond’ artistic cohort.
OPENING EVENT 6pm - 8pm, Friday 15 May 2026
RSVP via Eventbrite or email cowraartgallery@cowra.nsw.gov.au
Cowra Regional Art Gallery gratefully acknowledges the donations by David Henley and Ken Hutchinson for the main award of $2,000, and a private donor for the second-place award of $1,000.
AWARD RECIPIENTS AND JUDGES COMMENTS
FIRST PLACE AWARD
Shani Nottingham Bathurst Region
While all the worlds asleep, I walk around instead, through the memories, down the halls of my head... (Routines in the Night, 21 Pilots), 2026, assemblage with mixed media illustrations: watercolour, ink, gouache, pencil and collage
Lizzy Galloway: This work is steeped in nostalgia and the carefully collected objects feel thoughtfully curated, each one carrying traces of a life lived over time. There is a strong sense of the passing years in items such as children’s teeth and locks of hair, objects that speak to memory, loss and rediscovery. The small yet beautifully painted watercolours further enrich the piece, infusing it with a quiet sense of time, intimacy, and remembrance.
SECOND PLACE AWARD
Simone Darcy Bathurst Region
Autumn Flesh, 2025, chromogenic print mounted to aluminium
Lizzy Galloway: This chromogenic print mounted on aluminium reveals an unexpected beauty within decaying fruit. Cleverly composed, the work initially appears, from a distance, like an abstract photograph of distant galaxies. On closer inspection, however, the viewer is drawn into the extraordinary detail of the mould, transforming something ordinarily overlooked into something richly textured and visually captivating.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Therese Crowe Hilltops Region
Newspaper Man - Portrait of Derrick Mason, 2026, oil on canvas
Lizzy Galloway: I found this portrait to be a lovingly observed depiction of a man sitting at home in the kitchen, absorbed in reading the paper. The carefully rendered details, such as the sheep visible over his shoulder, the jars lining the wall unit and the scattered papers across the table, lend the work warmth and authenticity. What could have been a lonely or melancholic scene is instead transformed by the man’s gentle smile, making it clear he is relishing a perfect Saturday morning. Altogether, the painting becomes a nostalgic snapshot of quiet contentment, capturing the simple pleasure of lingering over breakfast and the weekend papers.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Natasha Bellamy Cowra Shire
Tea Time, 2025, acrylic on cradled wood panel
Lizzy Galloway: This is a playful take on the traditional 'still’ life. What draws me most to the work is its strong sense of action—the suspended moment just before the coffee spills across the table creates a feeling of tension and movement. The artist has rendered the light on the droplets with impressive detail, capturing the fleeting moment with skill and realism.