Celebrating excellence and innovation in the watercolour medium
Entries for The Elaine Bermingham National Watercolour Prize in Landscape Painting are now open. This triennial art prize aims to celebrate excellence and innovation in the watercolour medium.
For the purpose of this prize, ‘landscape’ is defined as any form of land or environment. This does not exclude peopled landscape, seascape, or urbanised and rural habitat. Artworks entered do not need to be representational; innovative and abstracted explorations of watercolour are acceptable.
The non-acquisitive prize is open to all Australian artists over the age of 18 years.
Entries will be shortlisted for our finalist exhibition, which will be shown at QCAD Galleries, located within Griffith University’s Queensland College of Art and Design at Brisbane City Campus, Southbank.
Our pre-selection panel of judges hold senior positions at Queensland College of Art and Design and bring a diverse range of both creative and professional expertise to the judging process. Artist and Deputy Director (Research), Professor Julie Fragar, Deputy Director of Learning and Teaching and Senior Lecturer, Dr Laini Burton, artist and Associate Professor, Natalya Hughes.
We are pleased to announce that our principal judge for 2026 is Alison Kubler.
The overall winner will receive a $20,000 cash prize generously donated by Elaine Bermingham.
Entries close 11:59pm AEST Sunday, 8th November 2026.
Finalist Exhibition: 10th December - 14th January 2026.
To complete your entry submission, please proceed with the steps below.
Enter Now
Step One: Terms and Conditions
Read the following terms and conditions to ensure your artwork is eligible for submission.
Step Two: Form Submission
Follow the link below to complete your entry form. If entering more than one artwork, you can complete all entries in the one form.
Prepare the following materials for your submission:
- Image of your artwork(s) (under 2MB each)
- Artist statement (maximum 200 words.)
- CV (one page only)
Step Three: Payment
Process your entry fee after you submit your form. Entries for which payment has not been received by the closing date will not be considered.
General: $40 per artwork entry (up to 3 artworks per artist)
Griffith University Student: $20 per artwork entry (up to 3 artworks per artist)
Alison Kubler
Our principal judge is Alison Kubler, who will select the winner of the $20,000 prize.
Alison Kubler has over thirty years of experience as a curator in museums and galleries in Australia, as well as on major public art commissions. She is the Editor in Chief of VAULT (vaultmagazine.com), a journal focused on art and culture, and a regular contributor to various art magazines and journals. Throughout her career, she has served as a board member of various state and national creative institutions, such as Member of the Council of the National Gallery and Museum of Brisbane. She is also a member of the Standing Committee for ‘the churchie’ Emerging Art Prize, Australia’s longest-running art prize for emerging contemporary artists. Most recently, she was appointed a Board Member of Australasian Dance Collective and a member of the Queensland Art Gallery Board of Trustees.
Alison has a double major in Art History from the University of Queensland, Australia, and a Masters in Post-war and Contemporary Art History from Manchester University, England. Alongside Danielle Renshaw, Alison is a Principal of Renshaw & Kubler Art Consultants, an independent curatorial and art advisory firm that connects artists with creative projects.
A multi-gallery exhibition at Brisbane City (Southbank) Campus
Exhibiting across Grey Street, Webb and Project Gallery
Previous Winners
2023 | Monica Rohan
Our most recent prize recipient was Monica Rohan in 2023. Rohan's paintings combine figurative, still-life and landscape imagery to create surreal scenes that reflect experiences of anxiety and uncertainty about our relationship to natural environments. In Crossing (pictured) a curtain of patterned, domestic textiles conceals a figure whose arms reach from behind, hovering impossibly above Little Dandahra Creek in the Gibraltar Range.
Artist Sam Cranstoun, our 2023 principal judge, commented that Rohan's work "combines vibrant colour and intricate pattern to create a whimsical and compelling landscape. Her work offers a momentary glimpse into an uncanny narrative that grabs the viewer in a powerful way, despite its intimate scale.”
Image details: Monica Rohan, Crossing, 2023, 29.7 x 21cm, watercolour on paper. Courtesy of the artist.
Previous Recipients:
2020 | Sue Lovegrove
2017 | Jackson Slattery
View Rohan's artwork and other finalist works in our 2023 digital catalogue:
Elaine Bermingham
Elaine’s passion for the visual and dramatic arts was the primary motivation for establishing ‘The Elaine Bermingham National Watercolour Prize in Landscape Painting’. After decades as a highly successful businesswoman and entrepreneur within Australia and abroad, Elaine remained closely connected with the South-East Queensland area, and in particular the Gold Coast. It is therefore fitting that the Bermingham Prize has been brought close by to Griffith University’s Queensland College of Art and Design, Brisbane City Campus, South Bank.
Elaine honed her business skills in the real estate, hotel management and rental car industries. She spent thirty years in America where she formed her own corporation and developed successful travel programs between the USA and Australia.
Elaine remained a strong ambassador for the visual and dramatic arts throughout her career, and viewed her pursuit as a benefactor as her own contribution to the arts community. She saw watercolour painting as an underrated artform, and was passionate about promoting the medium through the establishment of the Bermingham Prize.
If you have further questions, please get in touch with us at berminghamprize@griffith.edu.au