{"id":280249,"date":"2020-10-09T00:10:20","date_gmt":"2020-10-08T14:10:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=280249"},"modified":"2020-10-09T21:01:46","modified_gmt":"2020-10-09T11:01:46","slug":"art-prize-rewards-top-talent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2020\/10\/09\/art-prize-rewards-top-talent\/","title":{"rendered":"Art Prize Rewards Top Talent"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Tingoora artist Robyn Dower and husband Russell with Robyn’s winning sculpture, “Feathered” … it was a successful night for the couple; Russell went on to win a bottle of Kingsley Grove wine in the raffle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

October 8, 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The painting, \u201cAs The Dust Moves Away\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

It will now be added to the South Burnett Regional Council’s permanent art collection.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

There were 185 entries from 65 artists – a result that packed out the gallery’s exhibition walls.<\/p>\n

Curator Elaine Madill welcomed the audience and thanked them for observing social distancing during the evening.<\/strong><\/p>\n

She also thanked the large number of artists who submitted works to the competition.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n