Enter our Art, Literary & Music Competitions
The Penola Coonawarra Arts Festival holds a number of competitions, and is open to all artists, graphic designers, musicians and creative people and kids from around our region and Australia….with great prizes!
~ Poets of Penola Acquisitive Art Prize 2025: $12,000 ~
SPONSORED BY the MARY SKENE KIDMAN FUND
The Poets of Penola (PoP) Acquisitive Art Prize, open to all emerging and established artists throughout Australia, and inspired by the works of the Penola Poet’s, John Shaw Neilson, William Henry Ogilvie or Adam Lindsay Gordon.
2024 Winner: Isabella MacKirdy – ‘Scents of Spring’, poem by John Shaw Neilson.
Sponsored by The Balnaves Foundation
The 2025 Limestone Coast PoP Prize: $1,000
Open to all emerging and established artists who reside in the Limestone Coast and inspired by the works of the Penola Poets.
Sponsored by Lois Hodge
~ Penola Coonawarra Design Prize 2025: $1,000 ~
The chosen design will be used for all 2026 promotional material including a full colour program, posters, flyers, the website, banners and more.
2024 Winning Design above: Natania Hollingsworth
~ Catherine Martin Literary Award ~
Catherine Martin was an Australian novelist and poet who published her work anonymously or under pseudonyms.
More information on winner’s shortly.
~ Kids Talent Show ~
Are you the new Taylor Swift?
Great prizes.
Starts at 2pm in the big tent down Petticoat Lane.
Enter on the day
Sun 18 May – 2 pm
~ Open Mic Competition ~
Can you sing, dance or just be funny?
You have 15 minutes to impress our judges for the chance to win the big prize!
Everybody welcome to have a go. Food and beverage available all day.
Enter on the day or before. Contact Simon 0408 085 116
Sun 18 May – 4 to 6pm
Big Marquee, Down The Lane, Penola
