The Lester Prize – WA’s premier portrait prize has made its way to The Studio Gallery and Bistro in Yallingup from 19 March until 10 April 2022 and features works from the nation’s leading portrait artists.

This award is one of the Australia's most recognised and prestigious art prizes and is now in its sixteenth year. The prize pool available to professional, emerging and young artists is worth over $100,000.

Last year there was record breaking artist submissions, surpassing the 750 record set the year before, despite the ongoing disruptions from COVID-19. There was also a 30% increase in visitors, with 9,500 people visiting the prize exhibition at the Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA) in the Centenary Galleries over the six-week season.

The exhibition at The Studio Gallery and Bistro features a selection of finalists’ works from the 2021 season that have just been showcased at both St John of God Hospitals in Subiaco and Murdoch since the main exhibition closed in early December 2021.

“This year we are excited to be heading to the south west of WA with the touring exhibition. Our plans to come last year to The Studio Gallery and Bistro were cancelled due to COVID-19. The touring exhibition did manage to visit Geraldton last year with much success so we know it is really important to continue to include regional WA in our exhibition plans. It is also great timing for The Studio Gallery and Bistro with school holidays coming up and the south west welcoming visitors again”, said Annie Silberstein, Executive Director from The Lester Prize.

Sandy Tippett Gallery Director from The Studio Gallery and Bistro said “we are proud to be displaying the travelling 2021 Lester Prize. Supporting a significant portraiture art prize like this is an enormous accomplishment for the region, giving artists of all ages, art lovers and collectors the opportunity to see the exhibition either for the first time or maybe even a second time. We are delighted to share and expand the art culture further in our beautiful region and look forward to meeting and speaking with all interested visitors”.

The Studio Gallery and Bistro : 7 Marrinup Drive Yallingup.  Opening hours : Gallery 10am – 5pm Wednesday to Monday. Bistro lunch Wednesday to Sunday.

The Lester Prize 2021 Touring Exhibition 19 March – 10 April 2022.

Submissions for the The Lester Prize 2022 opened at the beginning of March 2022 and will close on 17 June 2022, with the finalists notified on 25 July 2022.

The main winners will be announced on 30 September 2022 and the exhibition season at AGWA will open the following day for six weeks.

Artists from across Australia are invited to submit portraits of an Australian, or Australians, that they respect or admire, or a self-portrait. Full Terms & Conditions are available at www.lesterprize.com.