The annual Clancy Religious Art Prize and Exhibition is open to all of Sydney Catholic Schools’ secondary students. It is a celebration of our students’ creativity and spirituality, expressed through visual arts, inspired by Cardinal Edward Clancy.

“Religion and art have been closely related from earliest times. Art has always been at the service of religion and religion at the service of art.
At a time when our society seems to be losing its civilising values, religious art is a powerful force in the service of humanity.”

– Cardinal Edward Clancy, 2009

2023 Clancy Prize theme

The theme of the 2023 exhibition is: Pilgrimage, the inner and outer journey to seek transformation.

Student and teacher participation is encouraged in the Clancy Religious Art Prize and Exhibition. It is a wonderful way to showcase the creative talents of our young people, and for them to incorporate their gifts and talents as they come to know and love Christ through learning.

An exhibition will be held on Friday, 15 September 2023, where students will be presented prizes. The exhibition will be hosted by the Australian Catholic University (ACU) at McGlade Gallery, on ACU’s Strathfield campus. The quality of this contemporary exhibition space provides a fantastic backdrop for the display of our outstanding student work in the Visual Arts.

The creative arts are very important, as they enable us to encounter what is good, true and beautiful. In Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis wrote: “Proclaiming Christ means showing that to believe in and to follow him is not only something right and true, but also something beautiful, capable of filling life with new splendor and profound joy, even in the midst of difficulties. Every expression of true beauty can thus be acknowledged as a path leading to an encounter with the Lord Jesus” (n.167).

Unveiled: Clancy Prize Winners 2023

The Clancy Prize

  • $2,000 awarded to the winning student (individual or Collaborative) by the Executive Director Mr Tony Farley

The Monsignor Doherty Prize

  • Stage 4 Individual prize $1,000
  • Stage 4 Collaborative prize $500
  • 2nd prize $300
  • 3rd prize $150

Brian Jordan Prize

  • Stage 5 Individual prize $1,000
  • Stage 5 Collaborative prize $500
  • 2nd prize $300
  • 3rd prize $150

Br Kelvin Canavan Prize

  • Stage 6 Individual/ Collaborative prize $1,000

Packing Room Prize – $250

ACU School of Arts and Sciences award – $250

ACU School of Education award – $100

Sponsors’ award – $250

  • Friday, 3 June 2024 – Expression of interest Exhibition application
  • Friday, 16 August 2024 – due date of artists statement and condition of entry
  • Thursday, 12 & Friday, 13 September 2024 – due date submission of artwork at ACU McGlade Gallery, Strathfield
  • Thursday, 19 September 2024 – Prize awarded for the Clancy Religious Art Exhibition Opening Night. Artworks will continue to exhibit at WSO for 2 weeks
  • Friday, 27 September 2024 – The Collection of artworks

The Clancy Religious Art Prize Exhibition is being held at McGlade Gallery, Strathfield Campus – the Australian Catholic University (ACU).

The exhibition formally opens on Thursday, 19 September 2024 at 6pm. The exhibition will remain open until Friday, 27September 2024 – it can be viewed from Monday to Saturday, from 11am to 4pm.

School groups are encouraged to visit the exhibition.

For bookings:

Please contact Diane Merrilees at ACU

Ivanka Rancic, Sydney Catholic Schools