Congratulations goes out to the three winners of this year’s Portrait of a Senior Territorian Art Award, being showcased in Alice Springs at the Araluen Arts Centre for the first time, followed by a showing in Darwin later this year.
Department of Tourism and Culture CEO Alastair Shields said the Portrait of a Senior Territorian Award was a testament to the significance of the award in showcasing the achievements of senior members of our community and the artistic excellence of Territorian artists.
“I am thrilled with the calibre and variety of works submitted for the Award.
“The showcase delivers an important legacy of portraiture in relation to significant Territorians and the importance of capturing our heritage and the incredible contribution made to our community.
“I congratulate the three outstanding winners of this year’s award and look forward to casting my own vote for this year’s People’s Choice award when it travels to Darwin later this year,” Mr Shields said.
The People’s Choice Award of $1,000 will be awarded at the end of the Darwin leg of the exhibition with votes from both Alice Springs and Darwin deciding the winner.
I am pleased to announce the following categories.
The first prize winner of the $7000 Acquisition Award goes to Henry Smith - for his portrait of Craig San Roque.
The second prize winner of the $2000 goes to Jennifer Taylor - for her portrait of Agnes Abbott.
The third prize of $500 goes to Angus McIvor - for his portrait of David Hewitt.
Director of the Araluen Cultural Precinct in Alice Springs, Dr Mark Crees said portraiture was one of the most accessible art forms.
“Portraiture provides a window into ourselves and our heritage, navigating the space between the outer representation of the “sitter” and the inner life of the subject.”
“It’s wonderful to host the exhibition for the first time at the Araluen Art Centre,” Dr Crees said.
Judges for this year’s awards were Alice Springs barrister, Mr Russell Goldflam, Darwin artist Therese Ritchie and Alice Springs artist and winner of the 2016 inaugural Vincent Lingiari Art Award, Marlene Rubuntja.
From the 33 works of art on show, six were highlighted by the judges for their technical artistic excellence and portrayal of the inner life of their subjects, namely Janelle Fisher’s detailed portrait of Pam Merington-Norman, Blake Kendall & M K Turner’s collaborative Kemarre Apmere, the late Iain Campbell’s self-portraiture, In search of lost artworks, and the three winners for this year.
The current exhibition is open daily 10am-4pm at the Araluen Art Centre until 12 June before transferring to Darwin.
More information at:
http://araluenartscentre.nt.gov.au/whats-on/portrait-senior-territorian-art-award
Media contact: Department of Tourism and Culture | Media Manager 0428 052 647
