by Carla Caruso

Rosemary Warmington AM is the new chair of the subcommittee behind our Adelaide Park Lands Art Prize.

She has taken over from Nataliya Dikovskaya, who is staying on as the deputy chair. The pair currently lead a team of nine other volunteers (and are on the lookout for more helpers).

Rosemary, who’s a practising artist and former CEO in the community sector, brings a wealth of knowledge to the competition. Next year will mark the sixth iteration of the biennial Art Prize, with entries opening on 31 August.

Rosemary said she wanted to offer her expertise “largely because I’m an artist myself and I’m a deep believer in community”.

“This Art Prize is special because it does involve community, and not only the major prize of $20,000 [offered], but all the subcategories really make it very open for anyone really to be involved.”

For many years, Rosemary was the CEO of Carers SA, a not-for-profit organisation that provides services to family carers, along with pursuing art. In 2012, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her contribution to the community.

Her professional background helped inspire her idea for a new category for the 2025 Art Prize, among the nine other categories: ‘artist living with a disability’.

“I’m very conscious of how important art is to many people with disability,” Rosemary said. “If you have a look at even the most amazing art prizes won, you’ll often find, dug behind it, are people living with major disabilities.

“There are some people whose disability can’t be seen [but] they’re amazing artists. [Australian actress] Asher Keddie’s husband, Vincent Fantauzzo, has got severe dyslexia, and she manages everything for him, but he’s the most amazing artist.”

Rosemary also pointed to Thom Roberts, who has autism and an intellectual disability, and is a finalist in the Archibald and Sulman prizes at the Art Gallery of NSW this year.

“There are many people, who are very high-level [artists], to people who are living with disability in residential programs or community programs, who paint every day and that’s a really major part of their interests and they’re creating little businesses. I’ve seen it at all levels of disability and art is a thing that really sustains them.”

Another Adelaide Park Lands Art Prize category in 2025 caters for school students – $2500 will be split between a primary and high school student. Young people beyond their school years can enter the ‘emerging artist’ category.

“We really wanted school students to participate because it’s really important that they get an understanding of the importance of your Park Lands,” Rosemary said.

“I love the Park Lands and [as an example] I’m really concerned about the encroachment by government and the assumption that the Park Lands are a parking lot or a lot for buildings.”

Other categories in the 2025 competition include:

·      Multimedia

·      3D (jewellery, sculpture, texture, and glasswork)

·      People’s choice

·      First Nations artist, and

·      Judges’ commendations (four prizes each).

Rosemary said the subcommittee was still on the hunt for more sponsors and donors for the competition.

“It’s really quite special to have so many talented people, with such commitment, volunteering their time behind the scenes to provide such an excellent prize.

“So, we are encouraging those, who believe in your Park Lands and art, the opportunity to be involved and to be inspired to contribute, if they can, with a category sponsorship or a tax-deductible donation.

“Again, we’re very thrilled that the Adelaide Festival Centre has taken us on [as an exhibition space] because it’s an absolutely fabulous venue. And, of course, the Adelaide City Council is quite involved in supporting us as well; they’re a major supporter.

“Without everyone’s contribution to this, we just wouldn’t be able to get to the prestigious level we’re at.”

The Adelaide Park Lands Art Prize was among the top 10 most popular art prizes in Australia at the close of its last iteration (in 2023), according to art-prizes.com.

For Rosemary, art has been a journey that has “wound its way” through her life.

“When I was the CEO of Carers SA, that was a pretty big job. But I painted on Sundays. Then when I retired, I took on painting more, and it’s the main thing I do now.

“I’ve been exhibiting quite regularly. SALA [the South Australian Living Artists festival] was probably the first time I showed my work in about 2011.”

She uses acrylic-based paint and mixed media in her pieces and describes her style as “abstract and semi-abstract landscapes”.

When she’s not painting or volunteering her time with the Art Prize, Rosemary enjoys travelling with her husband, Dr Don McMaster — a visiting research fellow in the politics department at the University of Adelaide. (The pair have been to 50+ countries!)

As well, Rosemary’s a keen gym-goer and walker and loves spending time with her four grandchildren. No doubt you’ll see more of her face as publicity ramps up for the 2025 Adelaide Park Lands Art Prize.