Inaugural Chapel Hill Horizons Art Prize announced

Chapel Hill winery in McLaren Vale, SA has announced the launch of the inaugural Chapel Hill Horizons Art Prize. This $5,000 acquisitive prize invites South Australian artists to interpret the local landscape and reflect on their vision for McLaren Vale. Artists can submit their entries in the mediums of painting, drawing, photography, mixed media or print from 19 February to 14 July 2025, with the winning artwork to be added to the winery’s permanent collection, housed in the iconic chapel.

The prize’s theme, Horizons, encourages artists to explore both the literal and symbolic meaning of the word. The brief asks for works that incorporate a distinct horizon line – the physical line where the earth meets the sky, or the symbolic idea of something that might be attained. This theme will challenge artists to engage with the natural beauty of the McLaren Vale landscape while considering its future.

The shortlisted works will be exhibited at Chapel Hill during the 2025 South Australian Living Arts Festival (SALA), with the winning piece announced at the exhibition opening on Sunday 3 August. The winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize, and their work will be displayed year-round at the winery.

The 2025 judging panel brings together three influential figures from South Australia’s art and wine worlds. Adele Sliuzas is the Visual Arts Curator at The Mill, Adelaide; Maria Zagala is the Curator of Prints, Drawings & Photographs, Art Gallery of South Australia (she/her); and Michael Fragos is the Chief Winemaker at Chapel Hill.

Fragos, who has been with the winery for 22 years, expressed his enthusiasm: “Since hosting Adelaide Festival events at the winery in the 1970s, Chapel Hill has a long and proud history supporting artists. It is so exciting to now bring together all of these elements with our inaugural Horizons Art Prize.”

Entries close on 14 July 2025. Visit the Chapel Hill website for more information.