The Jenny Birt Award

Tote Bag 3: Purple (recto and verso)

For more than 25 years, Jenny Birt has been encouraging and supporting young artists to pursue and build careers as professional practicing artists. One of the ways she has supported young and emerging artists is through an annual award – the Jenny Birt Award at UNSW Art & Design. 

The Jenny Birt Award was initiated in 1995 by the ‘U Committee’ and is the longest running and most prestigious award for Painting within the UNSW Art & Design academic calendar. Candidates are nominated by academic staff and then selected for inclusion in the exhibition and consideration for the $4,000 Jenny Birt Award.

The 2023 Jenny Birt Award

The 2023 exhibition at AD Space (28 June – 7 July 2023) featured the work of nineteen finalists.
Find out more

The 2022 Jenny Birt Award

The 2022 exhibition at AD Space (28 June – 9 July 2022) featured the work of twenty-four finalists.
Find out more

The 2021 Jenny Birt Award

The 2021 exhibition at AD Space (17-26 June 2021) featured the work of eighteen finalists.
Find out more

Acknowledgement of Country

UNSW School of Art & Design stands on an important place of learning and exchange first occupied by the Bidjigal and Gadigal peoples.

We acknowledge the Bidjigal and Gadigal peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land that our students and staff share, create and operate on. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend this respect to all First Nations peoples across Australia. Sovereignty has never been ceded.