The South Australian Museum has announced a shortlist of 74 finalists for the 2026 Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize - one of the nation's most prestigious and richest art prizes.
All up, 42 finalists have been named in the Open category, and another 32 in the Emerging artist category.
The winners will be announced Thursday 9 April 2026, and all shortlisted entries will g
o on exhibition at the South Australian Museum from Friday 10 April to Sunday 19 July 2026.
The winner of the Open category will win $30,000, while the Emerging category winner takes home $10,000. There is also a People’s Choice prize voted by exhibition visitors.
South Australian Museum Director Dr Samantha Hamilton said the Waterhouse had again attracted some of the "most amazing pieces from artists all around the country".
"There are paintings, sculptures, weavings and even a bold selection of digital and video pieces," Dr Hamilton said.
"This selection of finalists will only reinforce the Waterhouse’s standing in the both the artistic and scientific community."
The Waterhouse was launched in 2002 and is named in honour of the Museum’s first curator Frederick George Waterhouse.
Artists were invited to submit any form of visual fine art that relates to the natural world, with the exception of photography.
To be eligible, the work must have been produced no earlier than January 2025 and must relate to the natural world and the sciences associated with it, such as biology, geology, astronomy, chemistry and physics. Works relating to natural history were also eligible.
More information on the Waterhouse, including a gallery of all the shortlisted artists, can be found here.
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