On Wednesday, 20 October 2010, our Chair Colin Rhodes, incoming CEO - Michael Rolfe, Acting CEO Michael Huxley, Manager-Touring Exhibition Services - Rachel Arndt, and I attended the official awards ceremony for the 2010 Parliament of New South Wales Aboriginal Art Prize. There was a fantastic turn out and the venue, the Fountain Court of NSW Parliament House in Sydney, was packed with friends and family of the finalists and organising parties ( there are several partners involved in this exhibition- The Parliament of NSW, Campbelltown Arts Centre and Campbelltown City Council, Museum & Galleries NSW, and The College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales).
This year, the exhibition consisted of 43 artworks submitted by 37 individuals, all of which are Aboriginal artists born in New South Wales. The $20,000 winning prize was awarded to the Euraba artists and papermakers for their collaborative work, Gaduu – Murray Cod (pictured far left in image below).
The acceptance of the award by the Euraba group was definitely the highlight of the night as they were incredibly surprised, overjoyed and speechless. Seeing their reaction to the announcement really demonstrates how important the Prize is in recognising the artistic talent of local Aboriginal artists and providing them with an opportunity to proudly display their creations.
In addition, The College of Fine Arts (COFA) awarded their Professional Development Award to finalist Fabri Blacklock for her work, Gupi Yungera (Possum Skin Cloak). The Award aims to support an emerging Aboriginal artist with great potential, and includes an artist residency at COFA and financial assistance to result in a solo exhibition at EPS gallery.
A big congratulations to all the finalists, winners and to everyone that was involved in arranging the ceremony - it was a fantastic night. - Lillian Lim
No comments:
Post a Comment