2023 Olive Cotton Award Opening & Award Announcement

The Gallery is delighted to host the Official Opening and Award Announcement of the 2023 Olive Cotton Award. Join us for opening celebrations with guest judge Dr Daniel Mudie Cunningham and attending finalists.

Official Opening and Award Announcement

Saturday 15 July 2023 | 5.00pm-7.00pm | $10

Finalists receive a complimentary ticket. Booking essential

Virtual Opening & Award Announcement

For those who are not able to join us in person on the night, the Gallery will aim to livestream the Official Opening and Award Announcement, follow us on socials for updates.

About the Award

The Olive Cotton Award is a $20,000 biennial national award for excellence in photographic portraiture in memory of photographer Olive Cotton. The exhibition is selected from entrants across Australia and is a significant opportunity for established and emerging photographers. The winning work is acquired for the Gallery’s Collection. The exhibition will show at Tweed Regional Gallery from 14 July – 24 September 2023.

The Olive Cotton Award was launched in 2005, and is funded by Olive Cotton’s family and dedicated to her memory as one of Australia’s leading twentieth century photographers. The Award has grown and gained national recognition attracting entries from well-known and emerging photographers across Australia. In addition to the $20,000 acquisitive prize, selected by the Award judge, the Friends of the Tweed Regional Gallery and Margaret Olley Art Centre Inc. fund $4000 for the acquisition of portraits from the exhibition entries to be chosen by the Gallery Director. Visitors to the exhibition may also vote for their ‘people’s choice’, which awards $250 to the most popular finalist.

The Gallery thanks art dealer Josef Lebovic and photographer Sally McInerney, Olive Cotton’s daughter, for their ongoing support of the Award and also the Friends of the Gallery committee for their support for this Award.

The Olive Cotton Award is funded by the family of Olive Cotton with additional purchase awards funded by the Friends of Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre Inc. Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW.