22 July - 6 August 2023

Staged over sixteen extraordinary days and nights, Ephemera 2023 transformed Townsville’s iconic Strand into a 1.5km exhibition space. It attracted over 260,000 visitors during the exhibition period.

Ephemera 2023 showcased 31 artworks by local, national and international artists. Artworks featured a variety of materials and techniques and explored themes ranging from environmental concerns to North Queensland’s unique identity.

$90,000 Acquisitive Prize

• WINNER:  Carla Gottgens Riot

$10,000 Award for Artistic Excellence

• WINNER:  Chalk River Labs Night Parrots

2023 People's Choice Award

• WINNER: Chalk River Labs Night Parrots

Photographic Competition

• Ephemera Youth WINNER: Isla Stevens
• Ephemera Youth Runner Up: Liv Kent
• Ephemera Open WINNER: Kate Rosenblatt
• Ephemera Open Runner Up: Jennifer Payne

As a part of the 20th year celebration in 2021, Strand Ephemera was rebranded to Ephemera: Seaside Sculptures and welcomed the inclusion of a new $90,000 Ephemera Acquisitive Prize proudly supported by the Queensland Government.

Staged over nine fabulous days and nights from Saturday 17 July - Sunday 25 July 2021, Ephemera transformed The Strand into a 2-kilometre outdoor seaside sculpture exhibition attracting over 180,000 local, national and international visitors.

Ephemera 2021 showcased 28 artworks by local and nationally renowned artists, including 19 competitive sculptures, four sculptures by invited artists, two school projects, two projection artists and a chalk artist.

Congratulations to:

• Torin Francis for winning the Artistic Excellence Award for his piece Way.
• Christopher Trotter for winning the Ephemera Acquisitive Prize for his piece Foreigner.

26 July - 4 August 2019

$10,000 Award for Artistic Excellence

• WINNER:  Dominique & Samuel Chen Dream Palisade
• Highly Commended: Ngethn O'Thawvl Wedlvn Thawvl

2019 People's Choice Award

• WINNER: Karl Meyer Hand In The Sand
• Runner-up:  Karl De Waal I've been everywhere Man

Photographic Competition

• Under 18 years WINNER: Joshua Wyllie
• 18 years and over WINNER: Wesley Graffin

28 July - 6 August 2017

• WINNER: Erica Gray Visceral Bodies
• PEOPLE’S CHOICE: Marion Gaemers & Lynnette Griffiths Ancyent Marinere …. Are those her sails?

31 July – 9 August 2015

• WINNER: Alison McDonald Shimmer
• PEOPLE’S CHOICE: The Strand Ephemera School Project with Artist/Facilitator Ben Trupperbäumer The Grand Winter Tour to Anywhere

30 August – 8 September 2013

• WINNER: Rainer H Schlüter Blue Dances (Danseuses Bleues) – Quintet
• PEOPLE’S CHOICE: UnitingCare Community Whale Thong

2 – 12 September 2011

• WINNER: Girringun Artists Bagu with Jiman
• WINNER: Erica Gray Rock Anemone
• PEOPLE’S CHOICE: Aden McLeod People watching people in the spirit

4 – 14 September 2009

• WINNER: Marion GAEMERS Journeys
• HIGHLY COMMENDED: Vic McEWAN & Sarah MOOR Listen. Now Walk
• HIGHLY COMMENDED: Joanna Noela ANGLESEY Overlayunderlayoverlay
• PEOPLE’S CHOICE: Amanda FEHER The Cray

7 – 16 September 2007

• WINNER: Nameer Davis Soundstripe
• DISTINCTION: Kerry Stelling A Way to Go
• HIGHLY COMMENDED: Kalven Lloyd-Smith Stations of the Spike
• PEOPLE’S CHOICE: Steven Crow, Sharon Crowe & Anna Mango Drifter

September 2 - 11 2005

• WINNER: Adrian Davis & Lubi Thomas BoB
• WINNER: Andrew Thompson In Moving Stillness
• WINNER: Uncle Friday (Francis Wapau) Four Wind Brothers
• PEOPLE’S CHOICE: Cezary Stulgis The Pack

12 – 23 September 2003

• WINNER: Gavin Ryan Lyin’ Fish
• HIGHLY COMMENDED: Adrian John Davis Tidal Mass
• HIGHLY COMMENDED: Christine Spain Party Palms
• HIGHLY COMMENDED: Uncle Friday (Francis Wapau) Migration North
• PEOPLE’S CHOICE: Mike Taylor Anthill

21 – 30 September 2001

• WINNER: James McAvoy Stories
• HIGHLY COMMENDED: Janet Callincos Dreaming
• HIGHLY COMMENDED: Len Cook Coral Tree Dreaming
• PEOPLE’S CHOICE: Candace Miles In the Company of Diggers
• PERMANENT WORK: Robert Preston Mixture of Memory and Desire 4
• PERMANENT WORK: Anne Lord Flotsam and Jetsam
• PERMANENT WORK: Thierry Auriac Coconuts
• PERMANENT WORK: Thierry Auriac Tree Bracelets
• PERMANENT WORK: Thierry Auriac Flagpoles and Pennants
• PERMANENT WORK: Lyndall Milani Hambeluna: Spirit Rising