The 48th Katherine Prize is Here!

Usually at this time of year, Tarn Giddens is hard at work on his family’s mango farm—overseeing the packing of a purely Northern Territory harvest. This season, in the role of Gallery and Exhibition Coordinator here at Godinymayin, he’s busy collecting the best works of art from across the Northern territory and installing our largest Katherine Prize exhibition ever. And it is quite a creative harvest!

For people in the Big Rivers region, the Katherine Prize is an annual celebration of the visual arts going back almost a half century. On Friday, we opened the 48th edition with an exhibition of 80 Territorian works—paintings, sculpture, collage, and ceramics (but no mangoes, sorry Tarn). Our galleries are now filled with colour, landscapes, beautiful objects and creative statements about life in the Northern territory. And as local collectors know, everything in the Katherine Prize is for sale to the public. 

Stop by Godinymayin Cultural Centre between now and 22 December, for a closer look at art entries from Central Arnhem, Darwin and Humpty Doo, Alice Springs, Adelaide River, Wadeye, Nauiyu, Lajamanu, Tennant Creek, and Manyallaluk. The 80m works are on display across all three of our galleries—the Lambert, K-Space, and Laneway—and our team are ready to tell you all about them.

While here, talk to Tarn about his next fruitful project, the 2023 Godinymayin Holiday Art market, which joins the Katherine Prize exhibition on Friday 8 December or a two-week run. As with last year’s inaugural silly season effort, Tarn’s upcoming art market will feature unique creative objects and hand-made goods, books and home decorating items, jewellery, pottery, and more than a few perfect stocking stuffers. There may even be a few mangoes. 

“We’re really ending the year by celebrating all things Territorian,” says Giddens. “From the finest visual art works on view in the Katherine Prize exhibition to charming things representing artisans, makers, and our home-grown creative industry. It’s all waiting for you at Godinymayin.”

This year’s Katherine Prize effort—our community’s annual harvest of wonderful and diverse visual art—has been made possible thanks to generous support from sponsors Julie and Geoff Newton and Katherine Town Council. We’re equally grateful to our 2023 judges, the Honourable Professor Hugh Heggie, Administrator of the Northern Territory; Northern Centre for Contemporary Art curator, Kate Land; and celebrated Katherine artist and past award winner, Danny Murphy.

The galleries are open. The art is everywhere. And it’s all delicious and ready for the picking. 

— Eric Holowacz
Chief Executive Officer