New Art Flows in for next Art Awards

Awards are open to both professional and amateur Western Australian artists providing them with an avenue to exhibit and receive recognition for their work. 

Mayor Russell Aubrey said the awards gave artists, from students to professionals, an opportunity to exhibit their works to the community. “The annual awards have run since 1978 and in that time have grown into one of the City’s most prestigious and well-received cultural events,” he said.

More than 280 works have been received from artists all over Western Australia, from a diverse range of disciplines. All artworks will be for sale, apart from those entered into the Youth Category. The categories include acrylic, oil, watercolour, mixed media paintings, photographs, textiles, works on paper and three-dimensional sculptures.

Winners will be announced next week on Friday, 20 June, before the exhibition opens to the general public. The winning artists will be awarded a combined total of $14,000 worth of prizes.

The winner of last year’s People’s Choice Award, Gavin Fielding said the art awards were a great opportunity for artists to showcase their work to the public and find direction for their art. “It was good to see such a vast array of work mixed together,” he said. “Being able to relate what I was doing to others in the community helped to keep me inspired.”

The exhibition will be held on the second floor of the Melville Civic Centre, 10 Almondbury Road, Booragoon. It will be open between 9.30am and 4.30pm on weekdays and between 1.00pm and 4.00pm on weekends.

For more information on the 2008 City of Melville Art Awards, visit www.melvillecity.com.au or phone Customer Services on 1300 MELVILLE.