City celebrates record-breaking year for Emerging Artist Award

News Update 10 October 2025

EAA

After one of its biggest competition years to date, the City of South Perth has announced the winner of its 2025 Emerging Artist Award.

Janice Oliver, an agricultural scientist and emerging artist from Rivervale, took out the top honour for her work Come Fly with Me – a moody black and white print exploring loss in the aftermath of the 1968 Meckering earthquake.

Ms Oliver received the $5,000 Emerging Artist Award, sponsored by Rosalin Sadler, and the opportunity to exhibit her work at Heritage House, courtesy of the South Perth Historical Society.

When accepting her prize, an emotional Ms Oliver reflected on the incredible support she received on her journey from agricultural scientist to artist.

“Thank you so much to the City of South Perth for believing in emerging artists no matter their age or where they’re from,” she said.

This year’s competition attracted a record 250+ entries from across Western Australia, including the Fitzroy Valley and the Great Southern. From these, 128 works were selected as finalists, showcasing a diverse range of mediums including photography, sculpture, wearable art, painting and printmaking.

The finalists’ works were unveiled at the Emerging Artist Award Opening Night last night, celebrating the extraordinary breadth of talent in WA’s visual arts scene.

The Emerging Artist Award Exhibition is open to the public daily until Saturday 18 October at South Perth Community Hall – a chance to discover the next big name in WA art and to vote for your favourite piece in the SOCO Realty People’s Choice Award. The winning artist will receive $1,000 and a feature display of their work in the Coles Local basement gallery in South Perth.

Mayor Greg Milner said this year’s record-breaking event, which includes a program of artist workshops and talks, highlights the City’s ongoing commitment to supporting creative talent.

“The City of South Perth is thrilled to support WA’s emerging artists,” Mayor Milner said.

“This year’s outstanding response shows the remarkable creativity within our community and how this exhibition continues to grow and inspire.”

Judges Corine Van Hall, Abdul-Rahman Abdullah and Ron Bradfield Jr praised the calibre and diversity of works in this year’s exhibition.

“The overall standard of the exhibition reflects a promising and thriving Perth emerging art scene,” the judging panel noted.

“We hope this exhibition inspires everyone to keep thinking about art, making art, showing art and experiencing art.”

Full list of winners

Emerging Artist Award 2025, sponsored by Rosalin Sadler: Janice Oliver for Come Fly with Me
First Nations Artist Award, sponsored by John Curtin Gallery: Harley Green for Connections with my Family
Secondary School Artist Award, sponsored by Preston Street IGA: Ella Wyllie for School Memories
City of South Perth Resident Award, sponsored by Geoff Baker MLA: Rohan Agashe for Nexus
Young Artist Award, City of South Perth: Angelica Valentina Castro Suarez for Colours and Loose Edges
Local Theme Award, sponsored by Karalee on Preston: Pip Milton for Wattle on a Windy Day
Sculpture/Textiles Award, sponsored by Liquor Barons on Angelo: Fangying Fu for Heart of the Swan
Works on Paper Award, sponsored by Allan Herbert Sadler: Sheree Dohnt for Josef
Painting Award, sponsored by White Frame: Olivia Biasin for Break Even

Exhibition and events

The 2025 Emerging Artist Award Exhibition and Arts Program runs from Friday 10 October to Saturday 18 October 2025 at South Perth Community Hall, featuring workshops, talks and events for artists and the community.