2016 Emerging Artist Award winners announced

Winners of the 2016 Emerging Artist Award were announced at the exhibition launch held on Thursday 20 October in the South Perth Community Hall.

Beverley Iles received the $4,000 major prize, the City of South Perth Open Award for her sculptural work Stack. Judges Jana Braddock, Tom Müller, and Professor David Hawkins said it was a unanimous decision and commented; “Stack is an intimate work with texturally rich materiality. This resolved and engaging sculpture is poetically disruptive and makes subtle comments about the construction industry, history and strata through the use of soils and concrete.”

The 2016 Emerging Artist Award once again exhibits a significant number of quality entries, with 73 artworks on display to the public from Friday 21 October to Saturday 29 October 2016. Sculpture, video, photography, acrylic and mixed media all feature in this year’s exhibition which is the most diverse in the Award’s fourteen-year history.

The Award has evolved into a recognised prize and exhibition for local emerging artists over the years, with an established reputation for showcasing rising talent in the Western Australian art scene. Since its inception in 2003, the Emerging Artist Award has attracted an impressive catalogue of West Australian artists and each year this grows in numbers. In 2016 a record of 205 entires were received.

Now a major event in the City’s cultural calendar, Mayor Sue Doherty presented the Awards to the winners alongside the presenting and prize sponsors.

“Through the Award, the City encourages upcoming generations of artists and talented arts students to progress and exhibit their work and, by extension, support the local visual arts community,” Mayor Doherty said.

“With 73 extremely high quality artworks on show this year, it’s fantastic to see the Award grow and attract such a high standard of entries. Many of the previous winners of the City’s Emerging Artist Award have gone on to win and feature in other recognised art awards around the country, which highlights the significance of the Award for both artists and the City.”

“I’d like to extend thanks to our local Member John McGrath MLA and the local businesses for their support of the Awards.”

WINNERS
2016 City of South Perth Open Award
Beverley Iles, Stack
Concrete with site specific soils

Liquor Barons on Angelo Local Theme Award
Melissa Lui Yuen, The Earth Laughs in Flowers
Mixed media on canvas

John McGrath MLA Young Artist Award
Tom Ansell, Searching
Toothbrushed bitumen on cardboard

Como IGA Secondary School Student Award
Maggie Ziatis, Fighting Fish
Paper

White Frame Local Artist Award
Myra Mitchell, Tides of September
Mixed media on canvas

Judges also awarded High Commendations to five artists:

• Jillian Kurz for the work Float in the Local Artist category
• Kelwin Wong for the work Cygnet Theatre, Como in the Local Theme category
• Rachelle Dusting for the work Through My Eyes – A Portrait of Liza Harvey in the Young Artist category
• Takeo Kameoka for the work Self Portait in the Secondary School category
• Bec Inwood for the work Constructing Self in the Open category

Soco Realty People’s Choice Award will be presented to the work that receives the greatest number of votes from visitors over the exhibition period. Check the City’s website for the winner after the exhibition has closed.

2016 Emerging Artist Award Exhibition

Free entry
Friday 21 October to Saturday 29 October 2016
9am - 4pm, Monday - Friday
10am - 3pm, Saturday
South Perth Community Hall Cnr Sandgate St & South Terrace, South Perth

View the exhibition opening times or follow the City on Facebook for instant updates. The exhibition is free and open for anyone to attend.