20th Estuary Art and Ecology Awards

The Estuary Art and Ecology Awards are Aotearoa’s only annual contemporary art awards with ecology at the core. Artists are invited to research and respond to the Tāmaki Estuary, explore the ecological value of this vital waterway, and encourage action against its pollution. Finalists will be exhibited in the Malcolm Smith Gallery at UXBRIDGE Arts and Culture and winning artworks will be intelligent and innovative responses to ecology in the field of contemporary art.

Click here for more information on the Estuary Art and Ecology Awards.

KEY DATES

Entries open 1 April 2026

Entries close 31 May 2026

Exhibition of Finalists 4 July – 3 October 2026

Opening function and awards announcement 4 July 2026, 6pm.

Please visit our Submissions Page to submit your entry and for more details on how to enter.

AWARDS

First Place:                                   $5,000

Second Place:                              $2,000

Third Place:                                  $1000

Merit Awards (2):                          $250 + $150 Gordon Harris Art Supplies Voucher

People’s Choice:                          $1,000

TĀMAKI ESTUARY PROTECTION SOCIETY – Estuary Boat Tour 10 April

This year, TEPS (supported by the Bucklands Beach Yacht Club) is offering the public a boat tour of the Tāmaki Estuary. The Estuary and its tributaries have long been undervalued yet are important natural and community assets. Geared towards educating locals on the many fascinating and integral features of the Estuary, the tour will emphasise the wildlife that call the Estuary home and raise awareness of the dangers these animals face from pollution caused by urban crawl. The tour will be led by Bruce Kendall.
Artists undertaking research for their submissions are welcome to register. Please contact [email protected] to express your interest.

JUDGE – Professor Charles Walker (Fletcher Construction Chair of Future Environments, AUT)

Professor Charles Walker’s research, teaching, and design practice spans over 30 years. He aims to co-create educational experiences that build on the global history of ideas and to help students design informed, optimistic “imaginable futures” for the 21st Century. He joined AUT in 2008 to establish Colab – an anti-disciplinary catalyst for innovation and entrepreneurship in tertiary education. He was briefly Director of Creative Intelligence, Innovation & Entrepreneurship at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), then re-joined AUT to establish Huri Te Ao / the new School of Future Environments in 2020. The School promotes transformative socio-technical education and research across architecture, civil systems engineering, construction, regenerative ecologies, and creative technologies. Professor Walker is the current inaugural Fletcher Construction Chair of Future Environments at AUT, an industry partner-funded initiative to support innovation, research, and regenerative practice across the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector.

SPONSORS
The 20th Estuary Art and Ecology Awards are generously funded by Auckland Council’s Howick Local Board, Tāmaki Estuary Protection Society (TEPS), the Rice Family Partnership, and Gordon Harris Art Supplies.