For the artists with portraits on exhibition in the 2020 Hurford Hardwood Portrait Prize in Lismore Regional Art Gallery, there’s only one chance left at winning a prize.

Sponsored by Friends of The Lismore Regional Gallery (FLRG), the People’s Choice Award calls the community to choose who they think should win the coveted award in the highly contested competition. 

FLRG secretary Deepak Khuller said the exhibition has been on for a few months now and will run until January 31. Voting for the $1000 People’s Choice Award will close on January 21.

While the overall winner as chosen by the judges was announced last year, Deepak said being chosen as the winner of a national art competition by the members of the public is a high honour.

“Local artist and TAFE student Antoinette O’Brien won the $10,000 main acquisitive prize last year for her ceramic portrait of Helen Deravenchecko,” Deepak said. 

Read more: Meet the winner of the 2020 Hurford Hardwood Portrait Prize

“Now, the people who come to see the exhibition have a chance to decide whose work they admire the most.

“All you have to so is come in and pick a favourite, write it down and put it in the box.”

Deepak said the 2020 Hurford Hardwood Portrait Prize exhibition has been a popular show, with 6640 people already having come to see it.  

“Anyone who has made a vote will also go in the running to win one of three memberships with the Limore Regional Gallery,” he said. “We will draw the winner on January 30 at 11am.”

If you are heading to the gallery, an exhibition of work by Aboriginal artist Karla Dickens’ A Dickensian Sideshow’ is also on show and well worth checking out.

For more information about the galley, visit https://lismoregallery.org/cp_themes/default/home.asp

Read more: Humans of Lismore creator Denise Alison makes the portrait prize final