{"id":191955,"date":"2017-10-05T19:24:04","date_gmt":"2017-10-05T09:24:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=191955"},"modified":"2020-08-12T16:48:08","modified_gmt":"2020-08-12T06:48:08","slug":"art-competition-dazzles-and-delights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2017\/10\/05\/art-competition-dazzles-and-delights\/","title":{"rendered":"Art Competition Dazzles And Delights"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Popular CROW-FM announcer Sharnae (Shaz) Birkett won first prize in the Any Other Medium section with ‘I Love A Sunburnt Country’<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

October 5, 2017<\/strong><\/p>\n

A crowd of more than 70 packed the Wondai Regional Art Gallery on Friday night to help launch this year\u2019s South Burnett and Cherbourg On Show Festival.<\/p>\n

The featured exhibition was the annual South Burnett Art Competition, which has become the traditional curtain-raiser for the October long weekend.<\/p>\n

The Art Competition is only open to South Burnett and Cherbourg artists.<\/p>\n

This year it increased the total prize monies on offer from $6700 to $8000 thanks to the help of extra sponsors who have come on board during the past year.<\/p>\n

The region\u2019s artists responded in kind, swamping every inch of the Gallery with a record 191 pieces of art, ranging from oils, acrylics, pen and ink and pastels through to watercolours, photography, sculptures and ceramics.<\/p>\n

The exhibition\u2019s major sponsor \u2013 the South Burnett Regional Council \u2013 was represented at the opening by Mayor Keith Campbell.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mayor Campbell said he was very impressed with the variety and quality of the works on display, and congratulated all the artists.<\/p>\n

This year Cherbourg Mayor Arnold Murray sent his apologies, and the Welcome To Country was performed by Indigenous artist Les Stewart.<\/p>\n

Artworks in this year’s exhibition were judged by Leanne Kelly, curator of Moreton Bay Regional Council’s art galleries. Photographic entries were judged by award-winning South Burnett photographer Max Walters.<\/p>\n

Both judges put in a full day examining the entries, and made extensive notes about the winning items (full results, below).<\/p>\n

The major winner of the night \u2013 a $3000 prize awarded to the best submitted work across all categories \u2013 went to Hivesville artist Shannus O’Sullivan for his painting ‘Crossroads’, which the judge described as \u201cprofoundly moving\u201d.<\/p>\n

The painting will now be added to the South Burnett\u2019s permanent collection.<\/p>\n

Guests at Friday night’s opening could also browse a second exhibition in the Gallery’s Studio.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Faces Of The South Burnett” is a photographic exhibition put together by the Barambah branch of the Queensland Rural, Regional and Remote Women’s Network in conjunction with ABC Wide Bay and the South Burnett Regional Council’s RADF fund.<\/p>\n

Last year RADF helped fund a series of photography workshops, and the photographic exhibition was the result.<\/p>\n

As the name suggests, it is an exhibition of portraits of South Burnett residents shot by workshop participants, and it drew many favourable comments on the night.<\/p>\n