The 2024 Lester Prize for Portraiture Youth Awards will once again present exceptional talent and fascinating insights from young creatives across Australia. The 32 portraits will be displayed at the WA Museum Boola Bardip from Friday, 12 April 2024. 

The Lester Prize Youth Awards is a unique opportunity for high-school-aged artists across Australia. It's a platform that not only supports their creative talents but also provides a space to showcase their skills and unique artistic perspectives.  

The portraits in the exhibition have been selected from over 200 submissions. They represent the best in portraiture by high-school students around the nation, with 19 out of the 30 youth finalists being WA-based artists.  

Building on the success of the 2023 Youth Awards, this is the second year the exhibition is being held at the WA Museum Boola Bardip. Finalists stand a chance to win a share of a prize pool totalling over $5,000. 

‘We are so pleased to, once again, host the Lester Prize Youth Awards at the WA Museum Boola Bardip,” CEO Alec Coles said.  

“The talent of the young artists represented is exceptional and there is little doubt that we are seeing the emergence of some of the great Australian portrait artists of the future."

The Lester Prize Youth Awards and WA Museum Boola Bardip have joined forces to host several exciting events, including portraiture workshops for high school classes. These workshops will be led by artists and Lester Prize finalists Melissa Clements and Desiree Crossing.   

For more information about the workshops visit https://visit.museum.wa.gov.au/boolabardip/education/lester-prize-education-workshops  

The portraits will be displayed in the Old Goal at the WA Museum Boola Bardip until July 2024.  

The Youth Awards is managed by The Lester Inc., a not-for-profit organisation founded in 2007 to provide an avenue for artists from across Australia to exhibit portraiture.