Both emerging and established artists were honoured for their outstanding artistic achievements. This year’s SALA saw 10,598 artists participate in 706 exhibitions throughout Adelaide and regional South Australia.
SALA Festival Acting CEO Bridget Alfred said, “Judging panels for this year’s SALA Awards were blessed and challenged by the depth of talent, skills and originality across the finalists in all categories. The diversity was breathtaking, with established artists with decades of experience and exceptional skill sitting alongside exciting, raw and emerging voices.
The 2024 SALA Festival has been exceptional. Congratulations to all the artists, venues and curators who have participated this year. This year we have seen over and over, the importance of art in the community and its capacity to bring people together, to create a pause in our hectic lives, to reduce our separations, and to elevate without the barriers that language can sometimes bring. SALA Festivals greatest success is inadvertently gathering more South Australians into this wonderfully creative community.”
The SALA Awards recognised a blend of fresh talent and seasoned artists, with both newcomers and established figures earning well-deserved accolades.
Alyssa Powell-Ascura won the City of Adelaide Award for her exhibition ‘Halo-halo’. This award recognises an artist whose work explores and/or celebrates the experience of the City of Adelaide. Alyssa was awarded $5,000 and will participate in a public program with the City of Adelaide in 2025.
The Advertisers Contemporary Art Award is for the most outstanding work in any medium. OAKEY won a cash prize of $5,000 for her work ‘PORTAL’.
The Unitcare Services Digital Media Award is for artists working or experimenting in new media. Catherine Fitz-Gerald won the award and cash prize of $5,000 for her work ‘If Fabrics Could Speak’ which was audio described.
Eliana Della Flora was awarded The City Rural Emerging Artist Award and a cash prize of $2,500 . This award is for artists in the early stages of their careers, with under five years of professional experience.
Inspiring SA Science in Art Award is for artists whose work explores/engages with science, technology, engineering, maths or medicine (STEMM), or STEMM-related issues with a prize of $2,500. Victor Waclawik won the award for his work in ‘Propagation of Energy In A Fluid Medium’.
The City of Unley Active Aging Award is for artists over the age of 60 to celebrate the City of Unley’s involvement with SALA and its commitment to promoting and supporting an active aging approach. This year’s award went to Peter Fitton for his exhibition ‘Mistakes, Misdemeanors and Misconceptions’. Peter won a cash prize of $2,000 and an exhibition space in Unley for SALA Festival in 2025.
The Don Dunstan Foundation Award. In recognition of the 25th anniversary of Don Dunstan’s death and establishment of the Don Dunstan Foundation, the 2024 Don Dunstan Foundation Award is for artists whose work explores social justice or equality themes that align with the principles and legacy of Don Dunstan as a social, cultural, legal and economic reformer. Mia Chaau Wa Fan won the award and cash prize of $1,000 for her illustration work using traditional Chinese materials and techniques.
SALA Solo Photographic Opportunity was given to Tony Kearney. This opportunity is for an artist exhibiting photographic work in SALA Festival 2024, to support them in presenting a solo photographic exhibition of new work in the following year (SALA Festival 2025). The prize includes the printing of artwork at Atkins lab and consulting with Paul Atkins, mentorship from Gavin Blake of the Centre for Creative Photography, Exhibition space at praxis ARTSPACE for SALA 2025, and curatorial assistance from Patty Chehade and premium registration in SALA Festival 2025.
The Country Arts SA Breaking Ground Award sets out to elevate and accelerate the careers of South Australian regional visual artists by providing support to push the boundaries of their practice into new and uncharted territory. The recipient of this year’s award was Susie Althorp. Suzie received $10,000 to develop a body of work for a solo exhibition at Praxis Artspace in Adelaide during SALA Festival 2025 and a mentorship opportunity.
The Guildhouse Artist’s Choice Award is for artists of any medium, age, or skill level and this year’s recipient was Claire Foord. Claire will receive a 12 month Guildhouse Accredited Membership and a cash prize to the combined value of $1,000.
Hither & Yon Venue Award will be awarded at the conclusion of the festival to one venue that has gone above and beyond to support their artist/s and will be acknowledged for their efforts with a $1,000 cash prize.
SALA Festival has also announced Sue Kneebone will be the featured artist for 2025 and the focus of the 2025 South Australian Living Artists Publication, which will be penned by Andrew Purvis, Nicole Clift and James Tylor.
Sue is an interdisciplinary visual artist with a PhD in visual arts from the University of South Australia who works across different media creating mixed media and moving image works that incorporate the transformative processes of assemblage and montage to create new contexts, correlations, and associations that move across memory, history, and place.
