Phoebe Bruce from Wilkesdale with her photorealistic portrait of an Indigenous child ‘Annika’; Phoebe won second prize in ‘Any Other Medium’ for another of her works

October 4, 2016

A near-capacity crowd packed the Wondai Regional Art Gallery on Friday night to help launch this year’s South Burnett & Cherbourg On Show Festival.

The occasion was the South Burnett Art Competition, which is only open to South Burnett and Cherbourg artists and has become the annual curtain-raiser for the long weekend festival.

This year the competition increased the prize money on offer from $4800 to $6700, thanks to the help of extra sponsors who have come aboard in the past 12 months.

And the region’s artists responded in kind, swamping every inch of the Gallery with 165 pieces of art, ranging from oils and acrylics through to watercolours, photography and ceramics.

The exhibition’s two major sponsors – the South Burnett Regional Council and the Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council – were represented at the opening by Mayor Keith Campbell and Mayor Arnold Murray.

Mayor Murray kicked of the official part of the evening by performing a Welcome To Country and congratulating all the artists who had helped produce such a breathtaking display of work.

Mayor Keith Campbell agreed, saying the exhibition was a tribute to everyone involved and paying special thanks to the Gallery’s volunteers for the work they had put into the evening.

Compere Gil Smith, standing in for curator Elaine Madill who is recovering from illness, then took over the proceedings to provide everyone with an update on her progress.

“Elaine should be back with us in the next month or two, and I’m sure we all look forward to having her back,” Gil said.

After this a long list of awards were then presented to the winners and runners-up in each of this year’s competition categories (full results, below).

The major prize of the night – a $3000 prize awarded to the best submitted work across all categories – went to Roza Lear for her painting ‘Dusk’, which the judge described as “accomplished in technique and concept”.

The painting will now be added to the South Burnett’s permanent collection.

Roza, who is largely self-taught and has only been creating artworks for the last few years, said she was astonished to have won this year’s first prize and had never expected such an honour.

Fellow artist Robyn Dower, who won last year’s Acquisitive, was also rewarded when her work ‘Reflection’ took this year’s People’s Choice award.

After the official prize announcements, many of the guests adjourned to Dimities Cottage across the road for the Sample The South Burnett festival launch dinner.

Others went to the nearby Wondai Hotel for an after-party led by popular Indigenous band Muddy Flats, where artist Rocko Langton – who won this year’s Indigenous art category – put down his brushes and took up his guitar to entertain the crowd.

  • The 2016 South Burnett Art Competition will remain on show at the Wondai Regional Art Gallery from 10:00am to 4:00pm daily until the end of October. Admission to view the exhibition is free.
Cherbourg artist Rocko Langton took first prize in the Indigenous Art section for ‘Gididtchma’, the painting at left
Elizabeth Greensill with “Before The Wedding” … Elizabeth had several works in this year’s competition, and took second prize in the Watercolour section
Oil and Acrylics winner Lisa Jorgensen was congratulated by Mayor Keith Campbell
Art Gallery volunteer Eve Novak congratulates Sculpture winner Preston Fisher
Renate von Fahland, from Kingaroy, with her work “Pretty Corner Italy”
Maurice Mickelo, this year’s runner up in the Indigenous Art section, was congratulated by Cherbourg Mayor Arnold Murray
Any Other Medium winner Lee Porter was congratulated by Wondai Lion Percy Iszlaub
Cr Ros Heit congratulates Pastel category winner Joanne Tollefson
Watercolour winner Dot Rowland was congratulated by South Burnett Mayor Keith Campbell; Dot also picked up a commendation for another watercolour in this year’s competition
Deputy Mayor Kathy Duff used the art exhibition to officially launch this year’s South Burnett & Cherbourg On Show long weekend festival, and had Mayors Arnold Murray and Keith Campbell hold a special ribbon she’d prepared so she could cut it
This year’s major prize-winner was Roza Lear for her work ‘Dusk’; Roza is largely self-taught and has only been creating art for the last few years
Tingoora artist Robyn Dower won two Highly Commended awards in this year’s competition but took out the People’s Choice award with this work, ‘Reflection’

* * *

2016 South Burnett Art Competition Results

 

Acquisitive (Open) – $3000

Roza Lear – “Dusk”
Sponsor: South Burnett Regional Council

Section 5: Children’s Art

Sponsor: South Burnett Regional Council

Prep To Year 3 – Art Supplies:

  • 1st: Lachlan Harrison – “The Turtle”
  • 2nd: Milla Brown – “Starry Nights”

Year 4-7 – $30 First, $15 Second:

  • 1st: Sarah Blinco-Kregenbrink – “Dreamcatcher”
  • 2nd: Megan Underwood – “Hidden Treasures”
  • HC: Ivan Harrison

Year 8-12 – $30 First:

  • 1st: Kodi Sharp – “Misc Art”

Children’s Photography

Sponsor: South Burnett Regional Council

Prep to Year 12 – $30 First, $15 Second:

  • 1st: Sarah Blinco-Kregenbrink – “Brisbane City Lights”
  • 2nd: Sarah Blinco-Kregenbrink – “Bribie Sunset”

Section 4 (Open)

Indigenous Art – $400 First, $100 Second:
Sponsor: Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council

  • 1st: Rocko Langton – “Gididtchma”
  • 2nd: Maurice Mickelo – “Red Belly Black Snake”
  • HC: Val McGrath – “Dolphin Dreaming”

Section 3 (Open)

Sculpture and Ceramics – $400 Fist, $100 Second:
Sponsor: Wondai Country Markets

  • 1st: Preston Fisher – “Brahman”
  • 2nd: Maureen Addenbrooke – “Steering The Raft”
  • HC: Sandra Hoffman – “Round Wrinkles”
  • Cm: Preston Fisher – “Barra”

Section 2 (Open)

Photography – $400 First, $100 Second
Sponsor: Brian Tucker

  • 1st: Sharon McDonald – “A Foggy Start”
  • 2nd: Linda Staines – “Just The Beginning”
  • HC: Heather Stanton – “Wooroolin Wetlands”

Section 1D

Any Other Medium – $400 First, $100 Second
Sponsor: Wondai Lions Club

  • 1st: Lee Porter – “Storm Coming”
  • 2nd: Phoebe Bruce – “Journey”
  • HC: Robyn Dower – “A Slight Adjustment”
  • Cm: Selena Stevens – “Crying Angel”
  • Cm: Rosemarie Matthews-Frederick – “Bottle Brushes”

Section 1C

Pastels – $400 First, $100 Second
Sponsor: Member For Flynn Ken O’Dowd

  • 1st: Joanne Tollefson – “Cooling Shadows”
  • 2nd: Kaye Kerner – “Hills At Sunset”
  • HC: Kerry Kelly – “Calf And Pup”
  • Cm: Fay Brown – “Three Scallywags”

Section 1B

Watercolour – $400 First, $200 Second
Sponsor: South Burnett Regional Council

  • 1st: Dot Rowland – “Pink Delight”
  • 2nd: Elizabeth Greensill – “Softly Softly”
  • HC: Samantha Norman – “The Sea The Sea”
  • Cm: Dot Rowland – “Aging With Grace”

Section 1A

Oils And Acrylics – $400 First, $200 Second
Sponsor: South Burnett Regional Council

  • 1st: Lisa Jorgensen – “No Hesitation”
  • 2nd: Shannus O’Sullivan – “Travelling With My Mother”
  • HC: Robyn Dower – “Drifting”
  • Cm: Fay Brown – “Dove Lake Tasmania”

People’s Choice – $100

Robyn Dower – “Reflection”
Sponsor: South Burnett Regional Council

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