Art prize opens doors

NOOSA Regional Gallery is reminding local artists and designers that entries to the 2014 Noosa Art Award close on 15 June.
Noosa Regional Gallery’s annual art award program has re-invented itself under the new Noosa Council to become the Noosa Art Award, a slight shift in direction from a purely 3D art prize to include 2D works and is open to artists and designers across the nation, with the major prize of $7000 cash and the prestige of their work acquired into the Noosa Council corporate art collection.
Previous 3D art prize winner, Ange Leech says that receiving the award has been very important to her career.
“With the prize, I was able to travel to both Europe and the US where I gained new skills and collaborated with many different people in the creative sectors,” she said.
“In America, I created sculpture with students from the Institute of American Indian Arts and with renowned sculptor, Professor Dana Chodzko.
“I now reside in regional Australia where I use the skills gained during my travels to mentor and work with people in in remote communities doing woodwork and 3D-model-making.
“The prize gave me the opportunity to focus on my work and progress my career as an artist. The prize opened more doors for my practice than I could have imagined.”
A total prize pool of $12,000 is on offer to contemporary artists and designers with a selection of finalists to be chosen from the entries and presented in an exhibition at the Noosa Regional Gallery from 28 August to 5 October, 2014, with the Gala opening on Friday 29 August at 6pm.
The national winner will receive the $7000 award and their work acquired in to the Noosa Council art collection, along with two Regional Artist category winners who will be awarded $1500 each.
Once again, the Friends Noosa Regional Gallery will offer the ever-popular People’s Choice award of $1000, along with two Emerging Artist category awards of $500 each for tertiary level students working in 2D and 3D.
Noosa Regional Gallery director Nina Shadforth said the Noosa Art Award attracted national attention and aimed to create a national platform for the artistic pursuits of practicing artists and designers in the Noosa, Gympie and wider Sunshine Coast communities, as well as those from around the country.
“The national Noosa Art Award is also offering opportunities for local businesses to get involved and partner with the Gallery to build on the award, as well as the upcoming associated gala event and exhibition programs later this year,” Ms Shadforth said.
“Additionally, the vision for the award is not only to build on an existing small collection, but to create a unique cultural drawcard for Noosa, (renowned nationally for its cultural activities) that enhances the cultural tourism and to make it an accessible and desirable collection for visitors to Noosa.”