April 10, 2016
When Wondai Art Gallery’s walls begin to fill with floral works, visitors know the countdown to the town’s annual Autumn Garden Expo has begun.
The Expo will be held this weekend (April 16-17) at the Wondai Sportsground and Lions Pavilion.
It will feature stalls and horticultural displays from 8:00am to 4:30pm on Saturday, and 8:00am to 1:00pm on Sunday.
The popular Stolzenberg Brothers will be providing the entertainment, and there’ll also be guest speakers.
Visitors to the Expo can also drop into the Wondai RSL to see the South Burnett Orchid Society’s Annual Show, which will be open from 9:30am to 3:00pm on Saturday.
And across the roundabout, they should visit the Wondai Art Gallery where all the entries in the 2016 Garden Expo Art Competition are on display.
The opening night for the art competition attracted a large group to look at the quality works on display.
Unfortunately, first prize winning artist Anthony Adams, from Wilkesdale, was unable to put in an appearance after falling off a ladder.
Adams’ painting of a kookaburra on a tree branch won the judge’s heart for its tight execution, great detail and quizzical angle that makes viewers wonder what the kookaburra is looking at.
Second prize went to Linda Staines’ “Time Well Spent” incorporating a clock, a thermometer and a carved gecko on a block of polished wood.
And third prize – as well as this year’s People’s Choice Award – went to last year’s third prize winner Elizabeth Greensill for “Purple Cascades”, a large watercolour of purple blossoms that had an almost three-dimensional feel.
Fourth prize was awarded to Fay Holmes for “My Garden Colours”, while fifth prize went to Maureen Addenbrooke for “The Green Queen”.
The annual Garden Expo Art Competition is sponsored by the Garden Expo Committee, and offers $1000 in cash prizes.
The competition’s main criteria is that works need to reflect some aspect of gardening in the South Burnett, and it’s always a very popular event.
Gallery curator Elaine Madill said she was very impressed with the entries in this year’s competition, and congratulated all the artists who entered.
As well as the major prizes, a number of Highly Commended and Commended certificates were awarded:
- Heather Stanton – “Fenced In”
- Zane Stuart – “Wreck In The Burnout”
- Linda Staines – “Just The Beginning”
- Jenny Hartley – “Hollyhock In Pink”
Commended
- Joy Carter – “Daisy Field”
- Wendy Geldenblom – “Lisianthus At Dawn”
- Dot Rowland – “Auntie’s Rose”
Entries in the 2016 Wondai Garden Expo Art Competition will remain on display at the Wondai Regional Art Gallery from 9:00am to 4:00pm every day until the end of April. Admission to view the exhibition is free.
Related articles:
- Gallery Blooms For Garden Expo (2015 competition)
- Gallery Blooms For Expo (2014 competition)
- Art Blossoms In Autumn (2013 competition)
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