April 5, 2014
The drought hasn’t dried up enthusiasm for the Wondai Regional Art Gallery’s annual Garden Expo Art competition.
Although this year’s competition drew slightly less than its usual number of entries, opening night attendance figures were good and spirits were high.
The competition is run each April in conjunction with the Wondai Autumn Garden Expo.
All entries – which can be in any medium – need to have a floral theme, and prizes are provided by the Wondai Garden Expo committee.
This year artists submitted works in oils, watercolours, acrylics and pastels, along with several photographs.
Judging was carried out by artist Jan Lewis, who painted the Gallery’s portrait of Lady Flo Bjelke-Petersen and the striking copy of Chloe which adorns the dining room of the nearby Wondai Hotel.
The $200 first prize was taken by artist Daphne Browne for “Bush Garden”; the $150 second prize went to well-known Mundubbera watercolourist Sue Lederhose for “Autumn”; and the $100 third prize went to Linda Staines for “Autumn Time In My Garden”, which also took out the $50 People’s Choice award.
High Commendations went to Trish Erkens and Elizabeth Greensill, while Cartia Longden received a commendation for her work.
Local children also competed in a colouring-in competition, with the Gallery awarding art packs to the winners and runners-up in three age divisions.
The winners were:
Umder 5s
- Winner: Matilda Eckart, 4, from Peanut Kindy Kids
- Runner-Up: Jayden McEffer, 4
Under 8s
- Winner: Dustin Ramke, 7, Wheatlands State School
- Runner-Up: Nicholas Clancy, 7, Tingoora State ASchool
Under 12s
- Winner: Shonae Walker, 11, St Joseph’s School, Murgon
- Runner-Up: Hannah Armstrong, 11, Wondai State School
Wondai Garden Expo committee president Helen Young, who announced and presented the prizes, congratulated the artists on their efforts.
She said this year’s Autumn Garden Expo will be the event’s 21st outing which makes it one of the longest-running festivals in the region outside the agricultural shows.
Mrs Young said the Expo committee has used some of the profits of previous Garden Expos to build several new structures at the Wondai Sportsgrounds which will improve the facility not only for the twice-yearly Garden Expos but for other Sportsground users as well.
She thanked the South Burnett Regional Council for expediting these improvements so they could be ready for the up-coming Autumn Expo on April 19-20.
Mrs Young, who was recently elected President of the Proston Show Society, also invited artists attending the opening night to exhibit their works at next year’s Proston Show.
She said entries in the “Fine Arts” section could be revitalised if the artists chose to exhibit there as well.
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