Holding Light Nominated for a 2026 IMAGinE Award

Holding Light, the major exhibition curated by Shalom Collective and supported by Waverley Council at Bondi Pavilion Art Gallery, has been nominated for a 2026 IMAGinE Award.

Presented by Museums & Galleries of NSW, the IMAGinE Awards recognise the people and projects making a difference across museums, galleries and Aboriginal cultural centres throughout NSW.

Holding Light is nominated in the Exhibition Projects, Galleries – Small and Volunteer category.

The nomination recognises an exhibition created in response to the Bondi Beach terror attack, bringing artists and community together through art, memory and reflection.

What is Holding Light?

Presented at Bondi Pavilion Art Gallery from 25 April to 28 June 2026, Holding Light brought together 28 works by 29 artists in creative response to the Bondi Beach terror attack during a Chanukah celebration.

Curated by Shalom Collective and supported by Waverley Council, the exhibition explored grief, memory, resilience, solidarity and hope through painting, photography, sculpture, ceramics, installation, graphic art and digital media.

Over nine weeks, Holding Light welcomed 14,410 visitors.

Four public programs sold out, alongside artist and curator-led tours for community organisations and schools.

The exhibition also attracted significant critical and media attention, with coverage across The Australian, Art Guide Australia, Jewish Renaissance, The Jewish Independent, The Australian Jewish News, J-Wire, Sydney Arts Guide, SBS and other publications and broadcasters.

Read the full story of Holding Light, explore the artworks and hear from the participating artists.

What are the IMAGinE Awards?

The IMAGinE Awards celebrate the work of museums, galleries and Aboriginal cultural centres across NSW.

They recognise projects and people making a difference through exhibitions, public programs, partnerships and collections care.

Holding Light is one of the 2026 nominees in the Exhibition Projects, Galleries – Small and Volunteer – 3 or less paid staff category.

The nomination recognises Holding Light, for its timely, compassionate response to a horrific event, with a strong, inclusive contemporary art program that gave artists and audiences a powerful way to express, reflect on and connect with difficult experiences. Its public reach and lasting impact demonstrate the profound role art can play in community healing. Holding Light is nominated alongside exhibitions and cultural projects from across NSW.

Explore the full list of 2026 IMAGinE Award nominees.

Recognition beyond the exhibition

The IMAGinE Award nomination follows other outcomes that continued after Holding Light closed.

At least 10 participating artists sold work and/or secured paid opportunities connected to the exhibition.

Ella Dreyfus’s Nature Morte – Zikaron, created specifically for Holding Light, is nominated for the Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Photography Award 2026 and went on to enter public collections at the University of New South Wales and the Sydney Jewish Museum.

The exhibition also generated substantial critical discussion, with artists and individual works considered across mainstream, arts and Jewish media.

The nomination is another recognition of an exhibition that began with a simple purpose: to create space for artists to respond, and for people to spend time with those responses together.

What happens next?

The 2026 IMAGinE Awards will be presented on Thursday 26 November 2026 at Powerhouse Parramatta.

We’re proud to see Holding Light, and the work created by its 29 participating artists, recognised alongside cultural projects from across NSW.

Discover the story of Holding Light, explore all 28 works and hear from the artists behind the exhibition.

Explore Shalom Collective’s Visual Arts program.