The Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize, formerly the Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize, is a biennial competition for artists, with a science theme, organised by the South Australian Museum in Adelaide, South Australia. [1]
The Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize, formerly the Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize, is a biennial competition for artists, with a science theme, organised by the South Australian Museum in Adelaide, South Australia. [1]
The prize was established in 2002 and named after Frederick George Waterhouse, who was the first curator of the Museum. He discovered 40 new species of fish along the SA coastline, collected plants, insects, reptiles, birds and mammals and was an avid naturalist. [2] The annual competition changed its name to "Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize" in 2013. [3] It offered a total prize pool of A$77,000 in that year. [4]
The competition was not held in 2015 due to a consultative review on the nature of the competition. [5] However, a retrospective exhibition, Magnified: 12 years of the Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize, exhibiting all winners thus far, took place at the National Archives of Australia (NAA) in Canberra. [6]
It was held again in 2016, [7] and has been held biennially since then. [8] [9]
As of 2022 [update] there are two categories of prize, which is open to artists of any age, nationality and experience: [10] [9]
There is an exhibition of the works at the museum, which also tours to the Museum of Australian Democracy in Canberra, hosted by the NAA, [11] [12] and all of the exhibits are available for purchase. [13]
The Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize receives sponsorship from public and private sectors. The prize is also supported by private donations.
In 2014, Gala launch principal sponsors were Beach Energy and the Government of South Australia. Exhibition prize sponsors were legal firm Fisher Jeffries, printer Finsbury Green and the South Australian Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR). Private donations in support of the prizes (a total prize pool of A$114,500 [27] ) in 2014 included: [28] [29]
In 2018 the prize had federal government support through the Australia Council for the Arts and the National Archives of Australia; from the Government of South Australia via Arts South Australia; from the City of Adelaide; and from private sponsors the Hill Smith Gallery, Fisher Jeffries, The Adelaide Review , and printers Finsbury Green. [30]
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