Theodore Urbach (born in Germany in 1914 and arrived in Australia in 1947) was an Engineer Professor and an art aficionado. Involved in the philanthropically art scene, in the late 1990’s, he helped establish the Theodore Urbach Encouragement Awards at the Victoria College of the Arts. Upon his death in 2009, a testamentary charitable trust was established to continue his legacy which is proudly managed by Equity Trustees.

The Theodore Urbach Landscape Prize and Studio Scholarship Urbach scholarship (“The Urbach”) is designed to encourage continued exploration of Australian landscape painting by contemporary artists.

The inaugural winner of The Urbach - a prize and scholarship offered at Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) – is Ellen Lee, an abstract artist who works with watercolour and natural pigment to create large scale abstract landscape pieces.

The scholarship provided Ellen with both the time and space to create a masterpiece of the wetlands surrounding Shepparton Art Museum (SAM). Ellen Lee spent three months immersed, observing the environment, and sketching in the SAM studio.

“Part of my process is trying to integrate myself into the landscape so that I can then witness what is occurring naturally,’” Ellen Lee says.

“Going through the Urbach scholarship, having all those conversation with industry professionals, you get a bit more confident in how you talk about your work.”

“The staff at SAM are incredibly supportive, very generous with their information, with their support, with their time.”

The following video beautifully brings Ellen’s immersive experience to life.

Watch here.

The Urbach scholarship consists of:

• $5,000 cash prize
• $5,000 scholarship stipend
• 3-month access to the SAM Artist Studio
• Tailored professional development opportunities throughout the 3-month program.
• Dedicated studio space at SAM to undertake creative exploration and professional development.

Applications for The Urbach 2025 open on 8 November 2024 and close on 3 March 2025.

Find out more.