The 2013 shortlisted artists are: Rebecca Baumann (WA), Fergus Binns, (VIC) Petrina Hicks (NSW), Ash Keating (VIC), Bonnie Lane (VIC), Richard Lewer (WA), Angelica Mesiti (NSW), David Rosetzky (VIC), Darren Sylvester (VIC), Brendan Van Hek (WA) and Paul Yore (VIC). 

The winner of the $20,000 prize will be announced at the formal exhibition opening on Friday 12 April. The exhibition will be open Mon – Sun 10-5pm.

The Guirguis New Art Prize (GNAP) is a new national acquisitive $20,000 contemporary art prize which will present a selection of Australia’s most exciting contemporary artists with works that explore and embrace new ways of artistic expression, utilising existing mediums and new technologies in innovative ways.

Initiated and generously supported by local Ballarat surgeon Mr Mark Guirguis, this new prestigious art prize is administered by the University of Ballarat.

As a local philanthropist and art collector, in developing the Prize, Mark Guirguis’ aims were to celebrate the significance of the arts to communities and to Ballarat, emphasising contemporary art and ‘living’ culture, and to highlight the University of Ballarat’s Arts Academy.

The exhibition will be held at the Post Office Gallery, University of Ballarat and the Art Gallery of Ballarat.

The inaugural judge is Jason Smith, Director Heide Museum of Modern Art