Rachael Hooper took out what is now the richest single art prize in regional Western Australia for her painting, “Bird in the Night”.

Albany Mayor Milton Evans made the announcement at a formal ceremony last Friday night at the Vancouver Arts Centre.

More than 220 entries were submitted from around Australia.

Ms Hooper was not at the ceremony, but told prize coordinator Annette Davis she was excited by the win.

She said she had not visited Albany before, but had been as close as Walpole during a visit to the State’s South West.

She will be in Albany on March 26.

The prestigious aquisitive art prize is run at the same time as the annual community-based Albany Weekender Centennial Art Prize which was announced last Wednesday.

The judges for the City prize were Wesfarmers Art Collection curator and Wesfarmers Arts sponsorship program manager Helen Carroll, University of WA Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery director John Barrett-Lennard and Kelly Gellatly, curator of Contemporary Art at the National Gallery of Victoria.

Ms Gellatly said the art prize was of a very high standard.

She said after reducing the 227 entries down to a final five, all three judges had difficulty finding the winner. But during a walk-past at VAC, they all kept returning to the one painting.

“The handling of materials is unassuming. It is a subtle work,” Ms Gellatly said.

Three local artists were among the 29 finalists on display at VAC – Jennifer Crisp, Jim Duddles and Beth Kirkland.

The art prize was established with funds provided to the City by the Jack Family Charitable Trust.

The Trust was formed to distribute income from interest earned from the $5 million estate of the late Muriel Isabel Freeman to honour her father.

It has funded various charitable projects.

Trust member David Moss said the new prize recognised the important role of arts in Albany and believed its support would invigorate and stimulate the thriving arts community.

The Trust will support the prize for the next five years.