Winners of the prestigious tidal.22: City of Devonport National Art Award will be revealed at Friday night's opening at the Devonport Regional Gallery.
Devonport City Council's Convention and Arts Centre Manager Geoff Dobson said the award, now in its 10th instalment, attracted 141 entries, with 49 works by 46 artists preselected for the finalists' exhibition.
Mr Dobson said the $20,000 major acquisitive award is sponsored by the Devonport City Council and the Devonport Regional Gallery Friends Committee.
He said the gallery is currently receiving the selected art works and the ensuing exhibition will be a highlight in the award's history due to the very high standard of entries.
"The theme for tidal is as always, open to a range of interpretation be it personal, environmental, political or of a cultural nature," Mr Dobson said.
"The tidal winners form a valuable body of works that reflects on contemporary Tasmanian arts practices as well as practitioners, which is also a fundamental aspect of our permanent collection.
"Since 2020 the Award is restricted to Tasmanian artists, or artists who reside interstate that have a strong connection with Tasmania and the award is open to artists working in both 2- or 3 D formats."
Mr Dobson said visitors can vote for their favourite work in the People's Choice Award. The winning artist will be announced at the close of the exhibition and the artist will receive $1,000 courtesy of One Agency Collins Real Estate.
This year's judging panel includes Raymond Arnold, Artist, Ashley Bird, Senior Curator Visual Art and Design, Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery and Michelle Boyde, Artistic Director, Design Tasmania
The judging of the acquisitive Award will take place on Thursday 8 December, at the Devonport Regional Gallery.
Works by the following artists were preselected: Joshua Andree, Craig Ashton, Liam Ross Baker, Alexander Beech, Lorraine Biggs, Nikala Bourke, Elizabeth Braid, Lucinda Bresnehan, Dave Carswell, Dane Chisholm, Joel Crosswell, Sevé De Angelis, Richard Dunlop, Helen Edwards, Gabrielle Falconer, Lisa Garland, Jane Giblin, Elaine Green, Zoe Grey, Patrick Grieve, Neil Haddon, Belinda Hall, Robyn Harman, Rosie Hastie, Kit Hiller, Georgia Ingall, Loralee Jade, Sally James, George Kennedy, Amber Koroluk-Stephenson, Colin Langridge, Jan Larcombe, Sara Maher, Penny Mason, Nataša Milenović, Chris Morgan, Anne Morrison, Sarah Rhodes, Trish Richers, Troy Ruffels, Hope Smith, Melissa Smith, David Stephenson, Julie Todd, Evelyn Vyhnal and Alex Wanders.
Opening: 6pm, Friday, 9 December 2022.
Floor talk: 11am, Saturday 10 December 2022 by Ashley Bird.
Exhibition dates: 10 December 2022 until 28 January 2023.