Collie Art Prize entries surpass all expectations

When we launched our inaugural $50,000 Collie Art Prize in September, no one on the organising committee knew how enthusiastically the new art competition would be received.

On Friday when entries closed we knew we were onto a winner with more than 500 entries received from all around Australia.

Collie Gallery Group Board Member Don Clark has been instrumental in bringing the Collie Art Prize (The CAP) to fruition.

“The response to this inaugural event has exceeded expectations with hundreds of entries from all states and territories of Australia.” Mr Clark says. “The interpretation of the theme of ‘Identity’ ” has been very broad with a huge variety of art, media, artistic treatment and dimension.

“The organisation of The CAP has been a huge undertaking for a gallery which has been open less than three years and the spectacular result could only have been achieved with a great effort by many people and organisations not least our one and only employee, Gallery Coordinator Payam Parishanzadeh and volunteers.

“The prize is one of the largest individual acquisitive art prize offered in regional Australia, which has only been made possible by the generosity of the small mining town’s local Bendigo Bank which is stumping up the $50,000 first prize.   Meanwhile, the good people of the Collie Rotary Club voted in favour of offering two $5000 prizes with a $1000 people’s choice award being offered by Collie B&B Whispering Pines.”

Now that entries have closed, finalists will be chosen at the Art Gallery of WA by three experienced art judges: Carl Altman, Connie Petrillo and Mark Parfitt.

Mr Altman is an art history lecturer who has been involved in judging the Black Swan Prize. Ms Petrillo is Visual Arts Manager for St John of God Healthcare, Murdoch while Mr Parfitt is a practising artist and academic at Curtin University. All have considerable experience in judging art prizes.

Once finalists have been selected they will be advised by email and followed up by phone. The finalists’ work will then have to be received by the gallery by 23 February.

Judging will take place at the gallery on Wednesday, 28 February, by a panel including Dr Stephano Carboni, Mrs Lyn Di Ciero and Ms Caroline Lunel. Dr Carboni is Director and CEO of the Art Gallery of WA and Adjunct Professor at UWA. Ms Di Ciero is the publisher of Artist’s Chronicle magazine, an experienced art curator, managing numerous exhibitions in WA including the City of Rockingham’s Castaways sculpture competition, and Ms Lunel is the City of Bunbury Collection Curator at the Bunbury Regional Art Galleries.

The ultimate winner of the inaugural Collie Art Prize will be announced at an event at the Collie Art Gallery on Friday, 2 March.

“Becoming a winner or even a finalist in a big prize competition like the Collie Art Prize can make a huge difference to the career of any artist, in gaining attention from art buyers and galleries which may offer to show work. We wish everyone well who has taken the time and very personal effort to put their work out there and enter the Collie Art Prize,” said Mr Clark.

For more information, contact the Collie Art Gallery on (08) 9734 2921.