community - 2026-06-03

Creativity Meets Conservation: Finalists Revealed for the 2026 Northern Beaches Environmental Art & Design Prize

Twelve artists and designers shortlisted for the biennial prize celebrating the intersection of environmental awareness and creative practice on the Northern Beaches

The Northern Beaches is preparing to celebrate the finest intersection of environmental advocacy and artistic expression, with Northern Beaches Council announcing the twelve finalists for the 2026 Environmental Art & Design Prize. Now in its fourth edition, the biennial prize has become one of the most anticipated events on the region's cultural calendar, drawing entries from across New South Wales and beyond.

The Northern Beaches is preparing to celebrate the finest intersection of environmental advocacy and artistic expression, with Northern Beaches Council announcing the twelve finalists for the 2026 Environmental Art & Design Prize. Now in its fourth edition, the biennial prize has become one of the most anticipated events on the region's cultural calendar, drawing entries from across New South Wales and beyond. This year's finalists were selected from a field of more than 180 submissions, with judges assessing works across four categories: painting and drawing, sculpture and installation, design and architecture, and digital and new media. The breadth of the shortlist reflects the diversity of approaches artists are taking to respond to pressing environmental challenges, from coastal erosion and marine plastic pollution to urban heat islands and the loss of native bushland habitat. Among the twelve finalists are several Northern Beaches-based practitioners whose work draws directly from the landscapes and waterways of the region. Manly sculptor Renata Voss has been shortlisted for a large-scale installation made entirely from deaccessioned fishing nets recovered from Pittwater,...