20th Estuary Art and Ecology Awards

UXBRIDGE Arts and Culture is a community-focused arts organisation based in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. It supports contemporary art, creative learning, and community engagement through exhibitions, events, and education programmes.

The Estuary Art and Ecology Awards are a nationally recognised platform that fosters dialogue between art and environmental science, encouraging artists to explore ecological issues connected to the Tāmaki Estuary.

The 20th Estuary Art and Ecology Awards invite artists from across Aotearoa to submit original contemporary artworks responding to the ecology of the Tāmaki Estuary.

Artists are encouraged to explore the environmental, cultural and ecological significance of this vital waterway, creating work that raises awareness and inspires action on environmental issues.

Finalists will be selected for exhibition at UXBRIDGE Arts and Culture from 4 July to 3 October 2026. Award winners will be announced at the exhibition opening on 4 July by this year’s judge, Professor Charles Walker (Fletcher Construction Chair of Future Environments, AUT).

Awards include:

• First Prize: $5,000
• Second Prize: $2,000
• Third Prize: $1,000
• Merit Awards and a People’s Choice Award

Entries are welcome across a wide range of contemporary and applied art disciplines, including painting, ceramics, drawing, printmaking, photography, jewellery, sculpture, digital video and new media.

The awards are open to New Zealand citizens and permanent residents aged 18 and over.

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