Honouring an artistic legacy on Kangaroo Island

Adelaide-based designer Alex McCarthy met Diana Keir for the first time when she was just eight years old. Little did she know the impact Diana would have on her life, even after her passing.

“Diana was a lively, eccentric, interesting, inspiring and outspoken person,” Alex says.

“She and Bruce were regulars at our winery in McLaren Vale and they soon became close family friends and we ended up planting a vineyard together on Kangaroo Island.”

Diana, her husband Bruce and their two sons, came to Australia from England in the early 1970s and eventually settled on Kangaroo Island. Diana was a multi-disciplinary artist – in particular a painter, potter and glass artist.

The late Diana Keir

“I was very drawn to watching her create things and I spent a lot of time with her,” Alex explains. “She became a mentor to me, especially as I was growing up making art of my own. Despite our age difference, we shared a really special friendship.”

Diana passed away after a sudden illness in 2019 and Alex felt called to find a way to ensure Diana’s legacy lived on. When she learned that Diana had helped run Kangaroo Island’s biennial Easter Art Exhibition, she saw an opportunity.

“At Diana’s funeral I was chatting with some of the ladies that helped run the art exhibition, and they said they weren’t sure if they’d be able to keep it going. That’s when I had the idea of starting an Art Prize in Diana’s name, even though I had no idea about how to go about doing that.”

Through a family connection, Alex learned about philanthropic sub-funds.

“I was thinking that I’d have to fundraise the $10,000 for the art prize every two years,” she says, “but then I learned about building a corpus that over time, with interest, would make the prize sustainable.”

The Fund was established six years ago and auspiced by Guildhouse before transferring to its permanent home at Foundation SA. Alex set herself a fundraising target of $150,000 to ensure the Art Prize is funded in perpetuity and is currently two-thirds of the way to meeting that goal.

The Diana Keir Art Prize seeks to inspire and support local artists while also attracting artists from across Australia. Submissions are independently judged, typically by an Art Gallery of SA representative and another artist.

The inaugural Diana Keir Art Prize was awarded in 2021 to assemblage artist Janine Mackintosh. In 2023 the Prize went to portrait artist Lori Smith.

Alex McCarthy with 2025 Prize winner, Quentin Chester

This year’s Prize was awarded to Quentin Chester for his photograph, ‘Armature’.

Alex believes the Prize is something Diana would be very proud of.

“I think the Art Prize has really helped encourage and inspire the community, and there’s a big turnout for opening night. Everyone on the Island is supportive and excited about the winner and hopefully as time goes on, it’ll become an important event in the SA arts calendar,” Alex says.

“I feel lucky to have been able to create the Prize as a tribute to Diana. I’m also really thankful to Foundation SA for making it feel so seamless and well supported, and to all the donors who’ve helped make it a reality. Some of the donors are passionate about art, others are passionate about Kangaroo Island but together everyone feels a sense of joy about being involved.”

Support the Diana Keir Art Prize by making a tax-deductible donation here.
or learn more about the Fund or starting one of your own by contacting the team at Foundation SA.