ADELAIDE- Judges have chosen 100 finalists from a record 840 entrants who submitted works to the South Australian Museum. The competition invites artists around the world to create works of excellence that explore natural history themes. The winners will be announced on July 20.

The founder of the Prize and Exhibition Manager Mark Judd says “the artistic calibre of exhibition has grown enormously in the first 10 years of the competition, with record entries underpinning its popularity as a major annual event for Australian visual arts”.

The Prize has made an enormous impact in many artists’ careers. 2010 Archibald Prize winner Sam Leach is also a past Waterhouse finalist. He says “the Waterhouse is unique in promoting an interest in natural history. It brings science and contemporary art together in a way that encourages contemplation of the non-human world.

“Being shortlisted in the Waterhouse was a significant achievement in my career. The prize also toured to the National Archives in Canberra, a great place to have had work shown.”

Prizes
Overall winner of the 2012 Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize ™: $50,000.

In each of categories Paintings, Works on paper, and Sculpture and objects: 1st $10,000; 2nd $5,000; 3rd $2,500.

The Waterhouse Youth Art Prize: 1st $4,000; 2nd $2,000; 3rd $1,000.

People’s Choice Award: $5,000.