We are thrilled to announce the judges for the 2022/23 Blacktown City Art Prize: Venessa Possum (artist, CEO, Blue Mountains Culture and Resource Centre), Brett Adlington (CEO, Museums and Galleries NSW) and Fan Dongwang (local artist).

The three judges have selected 72 finalists from over 500 entries for the Blacktown City Art Prize exhibition, which will open the program at The Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre in 2023.

Learn more about the judges below.

2022/23 Blacktown City Art Prize judges

Venessa Possum

Venessa Possum is a Dharug Dharawal custodian acknowledging connections to Gungungurra Peoples. She lives at Burraburra in the Blue Mountains and is the CEO at Blue Mountains Culture and Resource Centre. She also leads an active life as an artist, collaborator, producer, educator, archivist and cultural consultant. She holds a 1st class Honours in Fine Art and Contemporary Indigenous Art and is a candidate in a Doctor of Philosophy in Griffith University. Her located research reveals a diverse oeuvre of visual languages – experienced as dynamic, material installations combining language, painting, drawing, collage, rubbings, printing and documentary photography and video. She is deeply engaged in producing an archive of Aboriginal presences coexisting with the colonial trove.

Image: Silversalt Photography

Brett Adlington

Brett Adlington has worked in the public gallery sector for over 25 years. His previous curatorial roles include Perc Tucker Regional Gallery; Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery and Gold Coast City Art Gallery (now HoTA) and most recently as director of Lismore Regional Gallery for 11 years. In 2021 he commenced in the role of CEO of Museums & Galleries of NSW.

Image: Courtesy of Brett Adlington

Fan Dongwang

Born in Shanghai, China, Fan Dongwang studied traditional Chinese art at Shanghai School of Arts and Crafts. As an established Shanghai artist, his work has been exhibited regularly in Shanghai Art Gallery since 1982, including 1986 Shanghai Art Museum Inaugural Art Exhibition and 1987 Shanghai International Art Festival. In 1990, Fan migrated to Australia as an artist of ‘Distinguished Talent’. He studied a Master of Arts at the College of Fine Arts (UNSW Art & Design), UNSW in 1995 and completed Doctor of Creative Art at Wollongong University in 2000, receiving a Postgraduate Award.

Image: Courtesy of Fan Dongwang