Araluen Arts Centre
Open now – until 8 June
One of the Heritage Hands pieces is proudly a FINALIST in The Alice Prize, Australia’s longest running national art prize.
The Alice Prize welcomes all Australian artists – established and emerging; urban, regional and remote – working in painting, performance, textiles, ceramics, photography, digital media, sculpture, sound, installation and more. Finalists are selected blind by an expert panel, the award is decided by a respected national judge, and the winning acquired work will join a public collection that lives in Central Australia – allowing audiences to learn from, challenge and celebrate contemporary creativity over time. The Alice Springs Art Foundation are proud to present The Alice Prize in a region known internationally for contemporary Aboriginal art, and we’re equally clear about our remit: to showcase fresh work from right across Australia. That way, Central Australians encounter a broader mix of practices and perspectives, and Australian artists gain a vibrant national platform in the Centre.
Our story: the Alice Springs Art Foundation (ASAF)
Back in 1969, a spirited group of locals led by businessman and MLA Bernie Kilgariff launched a bold idea: a national art prize that would bring contemporary Australian art right to the heart of outback Australia in Alice Springs. The very first exhibition, held on 3 October 1970 in a shed at Traeger Park, drew 207 entries and sparked an ongoing tradition powered by volunteers, optimism and community pride.
From those energetic beginnings, The Alice Prize became acquisitive in 1971, introduced expert pre‑selection in 1990, went online during COVID, adopted blind finalist selection in 2026 and has run biennially since 2002. Today, 195 artworks acquired through the Prize have been gifted to the people of Alice Springs and are housed at Araluen Arts Centre, forming a living, growing public collection.
The Alice Springs Art Foundation is still a not‑for‑profit, volunteer‑run membership organisation. We take great pride in continuing to bring The Alice Prize carefully stewarding new acquisitions so they can be enjoyed, argued over and loved – for generations.
