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An Omeath based artist has received a prestigious award at the inaugural Sidney Nolan Art Prize after one of her paintings was selected from more than 1,600 submissions from artists worldwide.
Anna Marie Savage's work Uisce Salach I was shortlisted alongside just 50 paintings for exhibition at The Rodd, Herefordshire, the home of the Sidney Nolan Trust, where four awards were presented on 11 July 2026.
Savage received a Burren College of Art Residency Award, recognising an innovative practice that combines painting, fieldwork and microscopy to explore environmental issues. The award-winning painting forms part of Uisce Salach (Dirty Water), an ongoing body of work developed over three years in collaboration with Leeds University. The project investigates the environmental impact of illicit fuel dumping along the Irish border and focuses on the River Fane in County Louth.
Using water samples collected from the River Fane, Savage employs microscopy to reveal molecular traces of pollution that are invisible to the naked eye. These microscopic observations are translated into abstract oil paintings, transforming scientific research into visual works that explore environmental degradation and humanity's relationship with the natural world. The award recognises a body of work rooted in County Louth, demonstrating how environmental issues affecting local communities can resonate with audiences on an international stage.
"It is an incredible honour to receive this award at the inaugural Sidney Nolan Art Prize," said Savage. "To have a painting rooted in County Louth recognised through an international competition means a great deal to me. The River Fane has been central to my research for several years, and this award demonstrates how stories that begin in local places can resonate far beyond their origins."
Savage is an award-winning artist based in Omeath, Co. Louth. A graduate of the University of Ulster with First Class Honours in Fine Art, she has exhibited widely throughout Ireland and the UK, with recent solo exhibitions including the Watergate Theatre, Kilkenny, and the Gerard Dillon Gallery at An Cultúrlann, Belfast. In 2025, she received the Newgrange Gold Award for work of distinction connecting to the natural environment at Surveyor 2025 at Solstice Arts Centre, Navan, and was shortlisted for the S+T+ARTS AQUA MOTION Residency in Portugal.
Savage's interdisciplinary practice combines painting, fieldwork and microscopy to investigate the relationship between identity, ecology and place. Through ongoing environmental research, she seeks to make visible the often hidden impact of human activity on fragile ecosystems while encouraging greater awareness of the landscapes we inhabit.
