THE SIDNEY NOLAN TRUST LAUNCHES INAUGURAL INTERNATIONAL ART PRIZE EXHIBITION
The Sidney Nolan Trust will present the inaugural Sidney Nolan Art Prize Exhibition this summer, bringing together more than 50 artists selected from over 1,600 international submissions in a major exhibition presented at its rural arts centre base The Rodd, Herefordshire.
Established in response to the enduring relevance of Sir Sidney Nolan's artistic legacy, the prize invites contemporary artists working in any medium to engage with questions of human experience, identity, landscape, society and our relationship with the natural world. The resulting exhibition reflects Nolan's restless curiosity, concern and commitment to art as a means of addressing urgent contemporary questions.
The selected works encompass a wide range of approaches and media, including drawing, painting, sculpture, photography and performance. Together they demonstrate the breadth of contemporary artistic practice and the continuing resonance of themes that occupied Nolan throughout his career: humanity's relationship with place, history, conflict, storytelling, plants and animals, and the environment.
The exhibition was selected by an expert panel comprising Antony Mottershead, Curator and Creative Producer at the Sidney Nolan Trust; Jennifer Guerrini Maraldi, founder of JGM Gallery and one of the United Kingdom's leading specialists in Indigenous contemporary art from Australia; Melanie Pocock, Artistic Director (Exhibitions) at Ikon Gallery; and designer Tom Piper MBE, whose work spans theatre, public art installations and major exhibitions.
Among the exhibiting artists are Louisa Chircop, an Australian Maltese artist whose shortlisted work, Tongue against the Cactus, establishes a compelling dialogue with Nolan's Australian origins and international outlook, and London-based sculptor Beatrice Galletley, whose ceramic sculpture, Rebirth, explores liminality, transformation, and the fluid nature of human experience. Together they exemplify the diversity of voices, geographies and artistic concerns represented in the exhibition.
Presented throughout The Rodd's gallery spaces, historic interiors, farm buildings, gardens and landscape, the exhibition encourages visitors to encounter contemporary art in dialogue with the place that Nolan made his final home. Rather than occupying a single gallery space, artworks unfold across the site, creating a series of encounters between contemporary practice, architecture, history and environment.
Sophie Heath, Director of the Sidney Nolan Trust, said:
"Sir Sidney Nolan was a pioneer of 20th-century art who continually engaged with the challenges of his times. We are proud to celebrate Nolan through establishing this new international art prize, and delighted to create opportunities to show and see exciting art here at The Rodd on the Herefordshire-Powys border where he made his home."
The Sidney Nolan Art Prize Exhibition opens on 11 July 2026 and runs until 4 October 2026. Prize winners, including awards for a solo exhibition, residencies and mentoring opportunities, will be announced during the exhibition launch event on Saturday 11 July.
Founded by Sir Sidney Nolan in 1985, the Sidney Nolan Trust enables inspiring encounters with art, heritage and the environment through its programmes at The Rodd in Herefordshire and The Bleddfa Centre in Powys, Wales. The Trust stewards an internationally significant collection of Nolan's art, archive and library while supporting contemporary artistic practice through exhibitions, residencies, learning and community programmes.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
SIDNEY NOLAN ART PRIZE EXHIBITION
Exhibition dates:
11 July – 4 October 2026
Opening event:
Saturday 11 July 2026, 12:00–4:00pm
Prize announcements and speeches at 2:00pm
Venue:
The Rodd
Presteigne
Powys
LD8 2LL
About the Sidney Nolan Art Prize Exhibition
The Sidney Nolan Art Prize Exhibition presents more than 50 artworks selected from over 1,600 international submissions to the inaugural Sidney Nolan Art Prize. Inspired by the legacy of Sir Sidney Nolan (1917–1992), the prize encourages contemporary artists to engage with questions of human experience, identity, landscape, society and our relationship with the natural world. The exhibition brings together a diverse range of artistic approaches and media, including drawing, painting, sculpture, photography and performance. Selected works are presented across The Rodd's gallery spaces, historic interiors, farm buildings, gardens and landscape. The exhibition was selected by a panel comprising Antony Mottershead (Sidney Nolan Trust), Jennifer Guerrini Maraldi (JGM Gallery), Melanie Pocock (Ikon Gallery) and Tom Piper MBE. Prizes include a solo exhibition opportunity, artist residencies and one-to-one mentoring. Winners will be announced on 11 July 2026.
https://artopps.co.uk/opportunities/sidneynolanopen
Featured Artists
The exhibition includes work by more than 50 artists from the UK and internationally.
Featured works include:
Louisa Chircop
Tongue against the Cactus.
Louisa Chircop lives and works between Australia and Malta. She holds First Class Honours and an MFA Research degree in Painting and Drawing from the College of Fine Arts, UNSW Sydney. Her work has been exhibited internationally and is held in public and private collections.
Beatrice Galletley
Rebirth.
Beatrice Galletley is a London-based sculptor working primarily in ceramics. A graduate of the Royal College of Art, her work explores liminality, transformation and the relationship between abstract form and human experience.
Project Partners
The Sidney Nolan Art Prize is supported by project partners including Parker Harris, the WBG Trust and Burren College of Art.
Earth Photo 2026
Launching alongside the Sidney Nolan Art Prize Exhibition, Earth Photo 2026 is an international photography and film exhibition developed by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), Parker Harris and Photoworks. The touring exhibition presents shortlisted works and prize-winning images exploring people, place, nature and the environment. At The Rodd, Earth Photo will be displayed outdoors in a large-format exhibition across the site. Earth Photo opens on 4 July 2026 and runs until 4 October 2026.
Image: Olana Light, The Birch Tree Family