Wangaratta Contemporary Textile Award 2025

24 May - 17 August 2025

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The Wangaratta Contemporary Textile Award celebrates the diversity and strength of Australian textile art. Now in its ninth iteration, the Wangaratta Contemporary Textile Award was initially established to mark Wangaratta's long and prominent history of textile manufacturing and craft making. In furthering this unique tradition and social history the award celebrates and strengthens the development of contemporary textile practice in Australia. With the significant investment of project partners, the Kyamba Foundation, prize money now stands at $40,000, representing the richest textile prize in Australia. In addition to the $40,000 acquisitive award the Highly Commended Ruth Amery Award of $2,500 is also offered.

The 2025 finalists, selected from over 430 entries Australia wide, are contemporary artists who not only demonstrate a mastery of technique in a broad textile medium, but innovation and excellence alongside a rigorous and robust conceptual practice. Finalists include:

Helvi Apted, VIC
Elisa Jane Carmichael, QLD
Hannah Cooper, NSW
Charlotte Haywood, NSW
Cara Johnson, VIC
Charles Levi, NSW
Emily Simek, VIC
Jacqueline Stojanovic, VIC
Sera Waters, SA
Jemima Wyman, NSW/USA

The finalists were selected by a panel comprising 2023 award winner and artist Sepideh Farzam, Katy Mitchell, Visual Arts Coordinator, Ararat Gallery TAMA (Textile Art Museum Australia) and Wangaratta Art Gallery Director Rachel Arndt. The winner will be announced by Guest Judge, Blair French, CEO, Murray Art Museum Albury at the opening and award ceremony on 24 May 2025.

Previous recipients of the award have included Sepideh Farzam, Gillian Bencke, Linda McLean and Cheryl Kennedy, John Parkes, Kate Just, Paul Yore, Patrick Snelling and Mandy Gunn.