AME Bale
Traveling Scholarship and
Art Awards, 2025

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This year saw the return of the AME Bale awards after an absence of three years.

A record number of submissions was received- 37 for the travelling scholarship, 87 for the oil/acrylic prize and 48 for the works on paper prize. The display of finalists at Glen Eire Gallery was of an exceptionally high standard.

The winner of the $50,000 travelling scholarship was a 26 year old Victorian artist, Andrew Li, who plans to take the opportunity to study the work of the great masters in France, Spain, UK, Italy and Netherlands, as well as continuing his studies in Australia. The $5000 oil/acrylic award was won by Liz Stute and the works on paper award was won by Deevya Desire.

Andrew Li

Background.

The A.M.E. Bale Traveling Scholarship is a national art prize, which is awarded biennially to an emerging Australian artist who has demonstrated talent and achievement in traditional styles. There are two other awards for Oil/Acrylic and “Works on Paper”.

The A.M.E. Bale Art Awards are considered as highly prestigious prizes, perhaps the most esteemed in representational painting in Australia. These awards include a traveling scholarship which enables Australian artists to study the works of the old masters abroad. The biennial judging of the A.M.E. Bale Traveling Scholarship and associated prizes for  Oil/Acrylic and “Works on Paper”, is carried out solely by members of the Twenty Melbourne Painters Society (TMPS). The Society upholds and executes the highest standards when judging the submitted works taking up to three days for consideration on the selection and judging of submitted works.

Header image “Zinnias” by A.M.E. Bale

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Past A.M.E. Bale Traveling Scholarship and Art Prize winners

2022
Rick Crossland – Travelling Scholarship.
Rick Crossland- Oil and/or acrylic Award for “The sleep-in”.
Jo Reitze – Works on Paper Award for “At the Lon.”

2020
Edward Essing— Travelling Scholarship.
Rosy Lloyd — Oil and/or acrylic Award for  “Portrait of T.C”.
Joe Whyte  —Works on Paper Award for “Frank”.

2018
Nicolas Chen — Traveling Scholarship.
Colleen Stapleton — oil and/or acrylic Award for Portrait “Girl With a Hoop Earring”.
Byron Copland — Works on Paper Award for “Double Portrait Study”.

2016
Ben Winspear — Traveling Scholarship.
Sheri Elphick —  oil and/or acrylic Award for Portrait of “Cleopatra”
Vincent De Filippis — Works on Paper Award for Portrait Study

2014
Simon Cowell — Traveling Scholarship.
Ray Hewitt —  oil and/or acrylic for “The Fly Fisherman”.
Virginia Grayson — works on paper for “Dad Watching the News”.

2012
Scott Breton — Traveling Scholarship
Evan Shipard — oil and/or acrylic for The Digger
Gregory Alexander — Works on Paper for Nelson Street

2011
Leigh Kaplan — Traveling Scholarship.
Jenny MacKay and Simon Cowell equal winners oil and/or acrylic for “Someday” and “Wynyard Lane” respectively
Philip Cooper — Works on Paper for “Seated Figure”.