The Ashburton Art Gallery and Zonta Club of Ashburton are delighted to announce the call for entries to the annual Zonta Ashburton Women’s Art Award (ZAWAA) and exhibition for 2026. A major cash prize and solo exhibition will be awarded to the Premier Award winner, and all selected finalists will have their work shown in the awards exhibition at the Ashburton Art Gallery and Museum. The competition is open to all emerging and mid-career visual artists in the Waitaha Canterbury region. The award seeks to raise the status of visual artists who identify as women and recognise their excellence in fine arts practice.

Along with the Premier Award is a Young Generation Award for women artists between the ages of sixteen and twenty. This is a cash prize that acknowledges distinguished potential in art and aims to encourage further creative endeavours: an outcome well suited to Zonta—a global organisation of women working to elevate the status of women worldwide. In addition, there is a People’s Choice Award that runs throughout the course of the exhibition.

Entries will be shortlisted by a panel of judges comprised of three art sector professionals. The awards will be announced by the judges on the opening night on Friday 06 March 2026. Entry forms can be found on the Gallery’s website or from the Gallery and Museum receptions.

ZAWAA26 entry forms are available here.

Entries close 08 October 2025

Key dates for ZAWAA26:

• 08 October 2025 | Entries close
• 12 January 2026 | ZAWAA26 finalists and judges announced
• 09 February 2026 | Last day for finalists’ works to be delivered to the Gallery
• 06 March 2026 7pm | Exhibition opening
• 19 April 2026 | Exhibition closes

Main Image: ZAWAA25 Premier Award winner Julia Holderness’ work Villa Margaux: a studio archive. 

Left image: ZAWAA25 opening night.