The Jenny Birt Award
Celebrating 30 years of supporting student artists
For many years, Jenny Birt has been encouraging young artists to pursue and build careers as professional practicing artists. One of the ways she has supported young and emerging artists is through an annual award.Â
The Jenny Birt Award was initiated in 1995 by the ‘U Committee’ and is the longest running and most prestigious award for painting at the School of Art & Design. Candidates are nominated by academic staff and then selected for inclusion in the exhibition and consideration for the $4,000 prize.Â
The 2025 Jenny Birt Award
Congratulations to the 20 students nominated for this year's Award:
Aarhon Silver, Ava McClure, Claudia Karskens, Cleo Ding, Elijah Kinnavong, Grace Milross, Harrison Rae, Iris Aung, Jess Curran, Joanna Murray, Leilani Knight, Lok Yin Law, Lucy Parkinson, Mark Wilson, Mei Lin Meyers, Molly Webster, Rebecca Mansour, Skye Wallace, Tash Brobyn and Trinity Johnson.
The recipient of the 2025 Jenny Birt Award will be announced at the exhibition opening on Tuesday 17 June from 6pm.Â
The exhibition will continue in until 27 June. An online exhibition will be published after the physical exhibition closes.Â
Online exhibitions
2024 Jenny Birt Award
Recipient: Keroshin Govender
Finalists: Nell Bradshaw, Tash Brobyn, Jess Curran, Carolina de Almeida Guarino, Jordan Dempsey, Mercedes Dunn, Yolanda Dussek, Bridget Fung, Nath Gee, Helen Holder, Chetan Immidi, Trinity Johnson, Mei Lin Meyers, Narrelle Odeh, Lucy Parkinson, Lige Qiao, Skye Wallace, Junnie Wang, Mark Wilson.
Image: Keroshin Govender with the winning work 'Vatsala and Marimuthu', 2024. Hand dyed natural indigo fabric, screen-printing, hand and machine sewing, jute, linen, silk, acrylic paint. 130 x 94 cm. Photograph: Anna Kucera.Â
2023 Jenny Birt Award
Recipient: Jacqueline Jacky
Finalists: Aarushi Zarthoshtimanesh, Abby Murray, Anna Nolan, Annalise Jennings, Bianca Currey, Daisy WT Ng, Hattie Bidwell, Joel Coleman, Keroshin Govender, Lua Pellegrini, Lucinda Hackett, Lucy McLauchlan, Lucy Parkinson, Maite Feijo, Ming Sun, Monisha Kumar, Sophia Olivieri, Vedika Rampal.
Image: Jacqueline Jacky with their winning work ‘That Place They Had’, 2022. Screen-print, watercolour monotype, calico, string, keen’s curry, turmeric. Photograph: Anna Kucera.Â
2022 Jenny birt award
Recipient: Vedika Rampal
Finalists: Aarushi Zarthoshtimanesh, Alyssa Alzamora, Astrid Elouise Bell, Aurelia King, Bradley Mendels, Brittany Bishop, Cassia Glynn Bray, Conor Parsons, David Wilson, Evan Ye, Fiona Macpherson, Heshanthi Munasinha, Jasmine Cain, Jessica Thompson, Lige Qiao, Lua Pellegrini, Lucy McLauchlan, Matti, Maya Elizabeth Cole, Mei Lin Meyers, Patricia Potter, Rebecca Bosley, Tia Madden.
Image: Vedika Rampal with their winning work ‘Residues’, 2022. Acrylic on cotton muslin, metal, nylon, hessian, bale, jute, clay, wood. 2.2 x 2.2 x 3.8m. Photograph: Anna Kucera.
2021 jenny birt award
Recipient: Astrid Elouise Bell
Finalists: Alix Crowe, Anna Seymour, Calina MacGinley Jamieson, Claude Platzer, Dana Hubraq, Edwina Huang, Fiona Macpherson, Francesca Athas, Lileana Colarelli, Mahitha Ramanathan, Matti, Meredith Toyama, Nitasha Chaudhary, Patricia Potter, Remy Faint, Sabrina Santana, Sophie Waddington.
Image: Jenny Birt with the winning work by Astrid Elouise Bell, 'Saying the quiet part out loud', 2021. Installation, acrylic on plywood, candle. Photograph: Anna Kucera.
Header image: 2020 Jenny Birt Award winner Nyah Willis, 'Skin of Gum' (detail).Â
Acknowledgement of Country
ºÚÁÏÍø´óÊÂ¼Ç School of Art & Design stands on an important place of learning and exchange first occupied by the Bidjigal and Gadigal peoples.
We acknowledge the Bidjigal and Gadigal peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land that our students and staff share, create and operate on. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend this respect to all First Nations peoples across Australia. Sovereignty has never been ceded.
