An exciting collection of 122 artworks from around Australia and overseas will form the finalist exhibitions of the $60,000 2013 Fleurieu Art Prize – the world’s richest landscape painting prize held right here in South Australia.

The shortlist collection includes work by artists Robert Hannaford, Richard Bell, Chris Orchard, Peter Daverington, Richard Dunlop, Dani Marti, Giles Alexander, Fiona Lowry and Tim Johnson.

Nigel Hurst of London’s Saatchi Gallery, artist Michael Zavros and the Samstag Museum’s Erica Green are this year’s judges and will announce the overall winner at a gala cocktail party on October 26.

Fleurieu Art Prize General Manager Karen Paris says the artworks are very diverse in style, subject and technique.

“The prize exhibitions will be very dynamic, with an intriguing range of interpretations of ‘landscape’, from contemporary to modern and traditional, and great variation in both subject matter and medium,” Miss Paris says.

“The judges have selected work by some very established artists from all around Australia, plus some exciting newer artists coming to the fore and, with 122 works to be exhibited, it will be well worth spending a few days stay in the region taking them all in.”

The finalist exhibitions will be held from October 26 to November 25 in galleries and wineries in the McLaren Vale and wider Fleurieu region.

These exhibitions will be supported by an invitational sculpture exhibition, a youth sculpture commission and an invitational landscapes exhibition which will also be on display at Adelaide Airport.

A collection of 37 artworks by South Australian artists working with a water or environmental sustainability theme have also been shortlisted for the $5,000 Local Water and Environment Prize.

Tickets to the awards night cocktail party at d’Arenberg winery, when the winner will be announced, are now on sale. The official event program is also now available at www.artprize.com.au.

The full list of shortlisted artists is available via the link at www.artprize.com.au

For more information on Fleurieu Art Prize visit southaustralia.com