Art awards deadline looming

There is not much time left to get applications in for this year’s Hedland Art Awards.

Regional artists and art centres from across the State are invited to enter their work into the State’s richest cash art prize by Friday, August 25.

The Hedland Art Awards attracts thousands of people to the Courthouse Gallery each year and has a total prize pool of more than $100,000 in nine categories.

FORM regional curator Kate Mullen encouraged artists of all ages and skill levels to enter the awards, with previous winners going on to have successful art careers.

“The Hedland Art Awards has revealed many new regional artists and helped develop their careers by exposing their work to a national audience,” she said.

“Last year, we had 10 regional art centres submit artworks, which is a fantastic achievement by art awards standards, and we want to see more art centres get involved this year representing their artists.

“The awards are open to artists living in the Pilbara, Kimberley, Gascoyne, Mid West and Goldfields-Esperance regions, and all artworks submitted must have been created in a 12-month period, so between October 2016 and October 2017.”

Previous winners include Tommy May, Winnie Sampi, Bugai Whyoulter, Diana Boyd and Nyapuru Gardiner.

Gardiner won most outstanding work at last year’s Hedland Art Awards and has since gone on to exhibit his work nationally, have his work purchased by galleries and private collectors, and win the prize for painting by Pilbara indigenous artist at last month’s Cossack Art Awards. “This demonstrates the positive influence the Hedland Art Awards has for participating artists and there are also opportunities for ongoing development from the creative and business perspective,” Ms Mullen said.

In its 10th year, the awards, usually held in August, will this year be on Friday, October 6 , so as not to coincide with the Cossack or NATSIAA Telstra Art Awards and to give artists more time to prepare their artworks for entry. If the new date is successful, it will become a permanent part of FORM’s objective to make its public program as accessible as possible.

For more information, visit courthousegallery.com.au or contact mail@courthousegallery.com.au.