Blackbutt’s Peter and Sandra Anderson picked up four awards in this year’s David Bryce Rural Art Awards for their photography … Peter won 3rd prize in the Social Documentary category, while Sandra scooped two first prizes (Landscape and Social Documentary) and a second (Social Documentary)

April 12, 2022

The biannual David Bryce Rural Art Award has drawn on the talents of six of the South Burnett’s best photographers this year.

The competition, which began in 2018, is held every second year at the Kingaroy Regional Art Gallery to honour the memory of pioneering South Burnett artist David Bryce.

Bryce was one of the region’s most respected and prolific artists, who continued to produce works right up to his death in August 2000.

Many of his artworks are now included in local private collections, as well in the South Burnett Regional Council’s collection.

Some of these artworks have grown to become iconic pieces over the years, faithfully recording vanished landscapes and streetscapes – such as a view along Wondai’s Scott Street on a rainy day in the 1970s.

The idea for the competition was floated in 2016 but it took a further two years to raise the $5000 in cash prizes that it offers.

The inaugural David Bryce Awards attracted 84 entries – primarily paintings and sculptures – and the competition’s next outing in 2020 drew a similar mix.

But this year the Gallery decided to limit the competition to photographic entries.

And while there were many breath-taking and beautifully executed photos on display at the gallery this month, it appears the surprise change of format caught some local photographers with their lens caps on.

The 2022 David Bryce Rural Art Award exhibition was unveiled on March 31 and will remain on display until April 28.

It features stunning new works by Max Walters, Belinda Kranz, John Dalton, and Sandra and Peter Anderson that cover a range of themes from landscapes to social documentary.

In addition to these photos, this month the Kingaroy Art Gallery also has a collection of David Bryce artworks on show in its rear gallery.

  • The David Bryce Art Awards will remain on display at the Kingaroy Regional Art Gallery in Haly Street, Kingaroy from 10:00am to 4:00pm Mondays to Fridays, and 9:00am to 1:00pm on Saturdays and public holidays, until March 28. Admission is free.

Related articles:

Former South Burnett Mayor and Kingaroy Regional Art Gallery patron Keith Campbell officially opened this year’s Awards … afterwards, he chatted with Arts Portfolio chair Cr Danita Potter about the high quality of this year’s entries
Belinda Kranz took second prize in the Landscapes category for this view of a rural pasture, which could easily be mistaken for a painting … it was one of several striking works Belinda entered in this year’s competition
John Dalton’s photo of a rugby league scrum drew many favourable comments on opening night … John won the 2021 South Burnett Acquisitive Prize last year for his stunning photographic portrait of Elgan Leedie
This view of Scott Street, Wondai, in the 1970s looking up towards the CBD by Kingaroy artist David Bryce was painted before the construction of Wondai’s roundabout … the picture forms part of a small exhibition of David Bryce’s works which is also on display at the Kingaroy Regional Art Gallery this month

 

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