Conversations with Suzanne Jones from The Jones Collective
In the lead up to The Sorrento Art Prize, Suzanne Jones will be asking Curator Julie Collins the big questions.
Question One:
Why did you develop the Sorrento Art Prize - SAP?
Our motivation for this initiative is twofold. As artists ourselves, we wanted to offer someone a truly life-changing opportunity without any strings attached. That meant creating a prize substantial enough to make a real difference—whether it's a deposit for a home or studio, paying off a mortgage, funding travel and research, or simply enabling an artist to step away from non-art-related jobs and dedicate at least 12 months to their practice. We didn’t want to impose restrictions, themes, or requirements that might alter an artist’s authentic creative process. Nor did we want them to justify how they’d use the prize through essays or proposals—we simply wanted to see their best work.
The second layer stems from our love for Sorrento and our involvement with the Sorrento Chamber of Commerce. We are always exploring ways to promote the town as a year-round destination, so SAP has been designed to spotlight the July-August period, building on the momentum of our Winter Festival, Taste Sorrento, in June. Winter in Sorrento is a hidden gem—crisp morning beach walks, serene bush trails, cozy restaurants, wellness retreats, boutique shopping, and, of course, our vibrant art scene with seven galleries to explore. While summer is undeniably popular, winter offers a blissful charm we are eager to share and cultural tourism is a wonderful way to showcase all that Sorrento has to offer.
Question Two:
Why did you select Smooth Nzewi as the judge?
We wanted an international judge from the start—someone with a fresh perspective on Australian art. While Australian judges are highly qualified, many artists feel it's always the same judges and artists in these competitions, and this discouraged participation. I’m not sure if this perception is justified, but many artists have applied who have long given up submitting for prizes, so it’s a good outcome. As well as an international judge we decided on a blind judging concept, with no names or CVs. This concept has been welcomed by many artists.
Further motivation was to also expose Australian Artists to an international curator, you never know where an introduction may lead. All up we wanted The Sorrento Art Prize to potentially provide significant opportunities for our shortlisted artists.
Smooth Nzewi stood out during our research. As the Steven and Lisa Tananbaum Curator of Painting and Sculpture at MoMA, New York, he has vast experience across art forms. His previous roles include Curator of African Art at the Cleveland Museum of Art and Dartmouth's Hood Museum, where he curated impactful exhibitions and facilitated acquisitions of major artists' works. With a PhD in art history from Emory University and an impressive career as an artist himself, Smooth brings unparalleled expertise.
In addition to judging the $125,000 Sorrento Art Prize (SAP), Smooth will attend events, give talks, and visit the National Gallery of Victoria, MONA and Melbourne art schools.
We thrilled to be hosting Smooth Nzewi and look forward to the unique insights he’ll bring to SAP.
Question Three:
How did you select the sixty finalists?
"As artists and art lovers, you’ve probably all wondered why curators and selection panels make the choices they do. The truth is, art is subjective—it’s personal. What resonates with one person might not connect with someone else at all.
So, what are you looking for in making the selection?
I look for innovation, skill in material usage, and above all, the artist’s unique voice.
Then I’m looking for a connection. How does the work make me feel. Or does the work tell a story?
Can you explain the process?
Shortlisting for SAP was a complex process, so let me walk you through it. We had just over 1000 applications.
Firstly, I spent time with every application, carefully looking at the images and reading the artist statements. By the time I got to the CVs, I usually had a sense of whether the work would make it to the Stage One ‘yes’ pile or not. For me, CVs aren’t the most critical part—they’re more of a reference to jog my memory if I’ve seen the artist’s work before, I don’t care if an artist is represented by a gallery, are being backed by other curators or if they have been in prizes before.
After the initial yes/maybe/no sorting, I spend a lot of time revisiting the yes pile and thinking about how the works. I don’t select based on quotas—whether it’s gender, medium, career stage, or ethnicity. In my experience, a natural balance always emerges, and what matters most is the art itself.
Getting down to the final 60 artists wasn’t easy. The quality of submissions was incredible—we could have easily shortlisted 250 artists. It was an intense process, with late nights and lots of reflection. Once I’d narrowed it to around 200, I went back to the ‘no’ and ‘maybe’ files. I always do this. What did I miss? This added another 7 to the yes pile.
When I got the list to 100, I needed a fresh perspective. I headed to the Sorrento Back Beach one late afternoon, when all the crowds had cleared. Watching the waves, I thought about each piece and how it made me feel.
Did it evoke happiness, sadness, fear, anger, nostalgia, hope or surprise? For me, the finalists are the artists whose work made me feel something—they’re the storytellers, holding a mirror to the human condition and reflecting who we are as Australians. Then I thought about the artworks in the space and how the exhibition would work as a visitor experience. That evening I decided on the final 60.
What did you learn from the process?
That the most popular artist names are Richard & Susan.
But seriously, ……that abstraction and figurative work are equally as popular in Australia art now. And most applications came from Victoria and NSW. Also, there seem to less political, social or environmental themes being tackled by artists nowadays.
What surprised you?
How many older artists who had long given up applying for prizes put in a submission. This was a great outcome for SAP. Those artists have committed their whole lives to developing their unique voice and skills and I’m proud to say many have been selected along with emerging and mid-career artist from around Australia.
