October 8, 2020
A brooding painting of a Queensland farmhouse being slowly revealed as a dust storm passes overhead has won this year’s South Burnett Art Competition and the $3000 cash prize.
The painting, “As The Dust Moves Away” by Sunshine Coast artist Keith Blake, was named this year’s winner at the opening night held at the Wondai Regional Art Gallery last Friday.
It will now be added to the South Burnett Regional Council’s permanent art collection.
Blake previously took out a first prize in 2018 in the “Oils Or Acrylics” section of the South Burnett acquisitive with “Boulder Break” but this year went one better by claiming the major award.
The annual art competition’s usual bumper audience on opening night had to be limited due to pandemic restrictions, with total guests restricted to 50 under a COVID Safe plan.
The event – which celebrated its 22nd birthday this year – is one of the most lucrative annual art competitions in the South Burnett, as well as the region’s oldest.
Thanks to a large roll-up of sponsors – including the South Burnett Regional Council and Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council, Wondai Lions, the Wondai Markets, Hobbs and Associates Accountants, Bendigo Bank, the Parkside Group, Bunnings Kingaroy, MP Ken O’Dowd, Senator James McGrath, Cr Kathy Duff, Evelyn and Shannus O’Sullivan and the gallery itself – the competition offered more than $9300 in prize money spread across nine categories.
There were 185 entries from 65 artists – a result that packed out the gallery’s exhibition walls.
Curator Elaine Madill welcomed the audience and thanked them for observing social distancing during the evening.
She also thanked the large number of artists who submitted works to the competition.
Elaine said this year’s judge – Michael Eather, the director of Brisbane’s Fireworks Gallery – had spent a very long day judging and grading all the entries.
He had found the task of picking winners quite difficult, she said, because of the high standard of work submitted and had passed on his congratulations to everyone who had taken part.
- All entries in the South Burnett Art Competition will remain on show at the Wondai Regional Art Gallery in Haly Street, Wondai from 10:00am to 4:00pm daily until the end of October. Admission to view the exhibition is free.
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Full List Of Prize Winners
Acquisitive – sponsored by the South Burnett Regional Council
Keith Blake – “As The Dust Moves Away” – $3000
Section 1A – Oil or Acrylic – sponsored by Bendigo Bank
1st. Deidre Amos – “Clouds Over Somerset Dam” – $500
2nd. Bronwyn Langford Martoo – “Mother Father” – $200
Highly commended – Keith Blake – “It Must Be Monday”
Commended – Maria van Kempen – “A Field Of Sunshine”
Section 1B – Watercolour (Pure) – sponsored by the Parkside Group
1st. Graham W. Smith – “Country Storm” – $500
2nd. Sue Lederhose – “Emus At Mitchell” – $200
Highly commended – Colleen Helmore – “Gardenias and Glass”
Commended – Trish Erkens – “Evening Shadows”
Section 1C – Pastel – sponsored by Hobbs & Associates Accountants and Wondai Lions
1st. Carmel Birchley – “Glowing Landscape” – $500
2nd. Graham W. Smith – “Billabong Moonrise” – $200
Highly commended – Gail Thomas – “Outback Locals”
Commended – Tiana McDougall – “Kingaroy Sky”
Section 1D – Any Other Medium – Bunnings Kingaroy and Ken O’Dowd MP
1st. Tiana McDougall – “Thirty Cents” – $500
2nd. Patricia van Kempen – “Sunflower With Bird” – $200
Highly commended – Mez Truskett – “For The Love Of Murgon”
Commended – Carmel Birchley – “You Called”
Section 2 – Photography (Open) – sponsored by Wondai Regional Art Gallery
1st. Carl Hogg – “Swallows’ Dinner Time” – $500
2nd. Denise Keelan – “Norway Sunset” – $200
Highly commended – Richard Henderson – “Ascension”
Commended – John Dalton – “Waiting And Thinking”
Section 3 – Sculptures and Ceramics – sponsored by Senator James McGrath and Wondai Markets
1st. Robyn Dower – “Feathered” – $500
2nd. Preston Fisher – “Resilience” – $200
Highly commended – Maureen Addenbrooke – “Green Heart Of The Burnett”
Commended – Sandra Hoffman – “Golden V”
Section 4 – Indigenous Art – sponsored by Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council and Cr Kathy Duff
1st. Rocco Langton – “Googoolmajia” – $500
2nd. Venus Rabbitt – “Bralbin” – $200
Highly commended – Kane Brunjes – “Days Between”
Commended – Venus Rabbitt – “Kumar Family”
Section 5 – South Burnett Artists Only – sponsored by Wondai Regional Art Gallery
1st. Shannus O’Sullivan – “Looking Back” – $500
2nd. Bronwyn Langford Martoo – “Father Searching” – $200
Highly commended – Denise Keelan – “Dreamtime Serpent”
Commended – Sharron McDonald – “Fisherman’s Delight”
Section 6 – Australian Poetry Theme – sponsored by Evelyn and Shannus O’Sullivan
(Artist is to choose any Australian poem, written by any Australian author between 1800 and 1900, and use any medium to interpret that poem)
1st. Bronwyn Langford Martoo – “Narrow Nature” – $300
2nd. Gwen Olm – “My Country” – $100
Highly commended – Tiana McDougall – “Freedom”
Commended – Bronwyn Langford Martoo – “The Olden Place”
People’s Choice – sponsored by Wondai Regional Art Gallery
Olga Hemberg – “Aqua La Vida” – $100
Related articles:
- Shannus Captures Country’s Pain (2019)
- Farming Heartache Wins Top Prize (2018)
- Art Competition Dazzles And Delights (2017)
- Art Launches A Big Weekend (2016)
- Art Launches Festival In Style (2015)
- Lee Takes The Top Prize (2014)
- Wondai Kicks Off Weekend (2013)
- Special Honour For A Woman Of Vision (2012)
[Updated with correction]
