2026 Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize Exhibition – South Australian Museum

Where art meets science, something extraordinary happens, and this year’s Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize exhibition at the South Australian Museum is proof of that.

Since 2002, the Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize has called for established and emerging artists to turn their gaze to the natural world, recognising the long-running interplay between scientific research and the creative arts. The 2026 exhibition showcases a rich and diverse survey of 74 finalist works mapping the intersection of nature, science and art across two prize categories: Open and Emerging Artists.

This year’s Open category winner is Adelaide artist Deb McKay, whose haunting porcelain work The Ghosts of our Coastal Water responds to the devastating impact of South Australia’s ongoing algal bloom on the coastal marine ecosystem. The Emerging Artist award went to Victorian artist Kat Parker for Discarded (Christmas Island Pipistrelle), a life-sized hanging sculpture of a tiny bat last recorded in the wild in 2009, symbolising extinction and the quiet disappearance of species from our natural world.

The shortlist includes paintings, sculptures, weavings and a selection of digital and video pieces, a wonderful afternoon of thought-provoking art for anyone who loves nature, science or simply beautiful and meaningful work.

The exhibition runs at the South Australian Museum until Sunday 19 July 2026. Tickets available via the SA Museum website.