National Photographic Portrait Prize 2017

Venue: National Portrait Gallery, Canberra, ACT
Location: King Edward Terrace, Parkes ACT 2600
1 Apr - 18 Jun, 2017
Web: https://nppp.portrait.gov.au/

The National Photographic Portrait Prize is an annual event promoting portraiture by contemporary Australian photographers, both amateur and professional. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the prize. This year the judges selected 49 portraits for the National Photographic Portrait Prize 2017 exhibition from a record number of 3,000 entries.

“The works in this year’s prize – as the NPPP always seems to do – supply a fabulous snapshot of the scope of the portrait photography spectrum, as well as a vivid and complex picture of the communities we inhabit’, said Joanna Gilmour, Portrait Gallery Curator and NPPP judge.

Richard Morecroft and Alison Mackay, 2016. © Gary Grealy. Winner, National Photographic Portrait Prize 2017.
Richard Morecroft is a former ABC news presenter and an accomplished landscape photographer, with his work held in The Australian Parliament House Collection. Alison Mackay is a masterful painter – she has works in major collections and has been a finalist in many Australian art prizes, as well as running art workshops with numerous leading Australian artists. My portrait of Richard and Alison is about a partnership in life and work. The pair have co-authored books and created features for magazines; they also jointly and individually exhibit their art. — Richard Morecroft and Alison Mackay, 2016. © Gary Grealy. Winner, National Photographic Portrait Prize 2017. Richard Morecroft is a former ABC news presenter and an accomplished landscape photographer, with his work held in The Australian Parliament House Collection. Alison Mackay is a masterful painter – she has works in major collections and has been a finalist in many Australian art prizes, as well as running art workshops with numerous leading Australian artists. My portrait of Richard and Alison is about a partnership in life and work. The pair have co-authored books and created features for magazines; they also jointly and individually exhibit their art.

The winner of the 2017 National Photographic Portrait Prize is Gary Grealy for his portrait of Richard Morecroft and Alison Mackay. Grealy took home the $25,000 cash prize.

Highly Commended: John Benavente for Renaissance Rose and Brett Canet-Gibson for Mastura. The Highly Commended receives a CG277X screen valued at $4,000 from EIZO. The winner of the Art Handlers’ award receives $2,000 cash and the cost of shipping for their work upon the end of the exhibition, from International Art Services (IAS).

Art Handler’s Award: Tobias Titz for Bobby Bunungurr.

The judges for the 2017 competition were Joanna Gilmour, Curator, National Portrait Gallery; Dr Sarah Engledow, Curator, National Portrait Gallery; George Fetting, guest judge, photographer.

The People’s Choice Award closes on 1 June 2017. Vote for your favourite portrait here.

Georgia and Angus (Australian Gothic), 2016. © Charlie White.

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April

Fit to Print: Defining Moments from the Fairfax Photo Archive

Canberra: 27 Feb until 20 July 2025. The National Library has invited renowned Australian photojournalist Mike Bowers to select some of his favourite images from the Fairfax Photo Archive.

Parkes Place West, Parkes Canberra The National Library | 1 Apr - 20 Jul, 2025

New Light: Photography Now + Then

Brisbane: Until 13 July 2025. Amateur Brisbane photographer Alfred Henrie Elliott (1870-1954) extraordinary images lay dormant for decades until they were discovered only recently. This exhibition is curated by seven Brisbane photographers.

Level 3, Brisbane City Hall King George Square, Brisbane 4000 Museum of Brisbane. Level 3 City Hall. | 1 Apr - 13 Jul, 2025

The Basement: photography from Prahran College (1968–1981)

Melbourne: 1 March – 25 May 2025. Featuring the work of approximately 60 artists, The Basement brings to light rare vintage prints from the 1960s – 1980s, from students and teachers of the College’s Diploma of Art & Design (Photography).

860 Ferntree Gully Road Wheelers Hill Victoria 3150 Museum of Australian Photography | 1 Apr - 25 May, 2025

Henry Roy - Impossible Island

Perth: Until 18 May 2025. Henry Roy – Impossible Island draws on 40-years of recollections and observations as it brings together 113 photos taken from 1983 to 2023.

Perth Cultural Centre, Perth The Art Gallery of Western Australia | 1 Apr - 18 May, 2025

PIX – The magazine that changed everything (1938-1972)

Sydney: Until 31 Dec 2025. PIX, Australia’s first pictorial news weekly, is brought to life in this exhibition, showcasing its archived images and stories for the very first time.

1 Shakespeare Place, Sydney State Library of NSW | 1 Apr - 31 Dec, 2025

Max Dupain – Student Life

Sydney: Until 30 June. The photographs in Max Dupain: Student Life were taken at the University of Sydney in the early 1950s, a period of rapid change marked by the politics of the Cold War.

Level 4, Chau Chak Wing Museum, University of Sydney, University Place, Camperdown Level 4, Chau Chak Wing Museum | 1 Apr - 29 Jun, 2025