The City of Wanneroo has announced the winners of its 2026 community art awards, with Shanti Gelmi claiming the $10,000 top prize for her work on paper, 'It’s time to air the dirty laundry'.
Prize Pool and Finalists
From more than 330 entries and 130 finalists, Gelmi was one of six artists recognised in the awards, which shared a total prize pool of $20,000. Judges praised her work for its visual impact and layered story.
“The work is bold and striking at first glance and contains layering and subtlety upon closer inspection,” they said. “We felt the work has an accomplished use of shadow and line and is conceptually strong, holding multiple stories.”
Award Categories and Changes
The awards, established in 2001, are an annual feature on the City of Wanneroo’s cultural calendar. This year’s edition featured an updated prize structure, celebrating a wide range of artistic practice. These included the city’s first dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art category, a refined young artist award open to those aged 16 to 21, and an emerging artist category.
Mayor Linda Aitken described the changes as thoughtful and made to better support artists. “We’re proud to host this exhibition each year, and this time we have thought carefully about how we are celebrating local talent and providing emerging artists the opportunity to showcase their art,” Ms Aitken said. “Congratulations to all winners and artists exhibiting this year, and thank you to our selection panel, judges and guest curator for their time and expertise.”
Other Category Winners
The First Nations Award went to Greg Barr for his acrylic work 'My Brother’s Trucks', which was praised by judges for its cohesive colour palette. Lisa Principe took home the best sculpture award for their work Fragile Strength. The City of Wanneroo local resident award went to Gina Kitchen for her painting Find Some Peace, which judges described as “quietly confident”. Renee Doropoulos won the emerging artist award for her pigment inkjet print 'Migrations of the Mati #2.' Bell Goodridge won the young artist award for her ballpoint pen and embroidery work 'B'.
Exhibition Details
An exhibition displaying the works is open until Saturday, July 25, at the Wanneroo Regional Gallery. Opening hours are Wednesdays to Saturdays from 10am to 4pm. Visitors are being invited to also vote in the people’s choice award, with the winner to be announced in mid-August. For more information on the awards and exhibition, visit wanneroo.wa.gov.au/artawards.
