Fresh! 2024

Fresh! celebrates the next wave of Victorian graduates in contemporary craft and design.

Presented annually since 1993, Fresh! showcases the energy, skill and innovation of some of the best graduating students from craft, design and fine art disciplines. Fresh! provides an important opportunity for graduates beginning their career as makers. The exhibition fosters the potential of graduating students and provides an insight into new directions of contemporary craft.

Fresh! 2024 will mark the 31st iteration of this annual program and exhibition.

Fresh! Fellowship

In 2024, Craft is delighted to introduce the Fresh! Fellowship – an expanded program designed to further foster the creative potential of all Fresh! finalists.

Providing 12 months of professional mentorship support, the fellowship program responds to the specific needs of emerging artists, encouraging ongoing development, and ensuring the participants continue to build their knowledge and networks as they take their practices from an educational context to a professional one.

The program includes -

• Craft Maker Membership – providing access to Craft’s resources and programs (including monthly Advice Clinics) to learn, explore and connect.
• Mentor sessions – a 12-month bespoke professional development program, including practical advice for professional practice and career pathways and planning.

The Fresh! Fellowship is generously supported by the Amaeah Foundation

Prizes

The Desa Artist Residency, Bali
Supported by The Macfarlane Fund, this award enables the winning artist to spend a month in residence at Desa, a place for making work and making connections in Ubud, Indonesia. Outcomes from the residency will be presented at Craft.
Selected by Helen and Melissa Macfarlane.
Prize of $8,000 including a $3,000 bursary for living costs
Awarded to Hannah Hall

Wardle Craft Prize
Selected by Meaghan Dwyer and John Wardle, Partners
Prize of $1,500
Awarded to Jing Liang

The Future Leaders Awards 
A philanthropic initiative promoting leadership, achievement and potential among young Australians.
Selected by Dr Helen Sykes AM.
Prize of $1,000
Awarded to Ko Jou Chen and Rochelle Morris

The Lemon & Friends Award of Excellence
This award recognises curious and experimental bodies of work.
Selected by James Lemon
Prize of $1,000
Awarded to Rochelle Morris

The Artichoke Emerging Maker Prize
In an ongoing collaboration with Artichoke, this annual prize recognises outstanding emerging talent from the exhibitors of Craft's Fresh! exhibitors. A profile on the winner is published via architectureau.com and the winning maker receives a 2-year magazine subscription from Architecture Media.
In 2024 the prize will be judged by Artichoke’s acting editor Amy Woodroffe.
Awarded to Hannah Hall

Desa Artist-In-Residence Program

The Desa Artist-In-Residence Program was founded upon a principle of making, making work and making connections. The program actively supports practice, conversations and reflection for positive global social impact. Desa invites people from across the world to share a table. The artist residency program is an instrument to further generate engagement, collaboration and exchange in the Southeast Asia region.

The Selection Panel

Each year, Craft Victoria and an invited team of craft and design professionals view graduate exhibitions across Victoria to search for the freshest emerging makers working within craft and design disciplines. The 2024 Fresh! selection panel included: Jake Nakashima-Edwards, Danielle Thiris, Anke Kindle and Craft Victoria's curatorial and exhibitions manager, Eliza Tiernan.