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The Crows Nest Regional Art Gallery Acquisitive Art Competition began in 1998 as a small local affair combining paintings and sculptures. The event quickly became very popular attracting more and more entries each year, and in 2002 the Gallery committee decided to alternate the competition each year between sculpture and painting.
2009 is the year for painters and a total prize pool of $6,750 will be on offer to the winning entries.
The 2009 competition is free of section designation, with special prizes to be awarded for local, young and emerging artists.
Official Opening and Award Night: 6.30pm Saturday 4 July
Exhibition: 4 July – 2 August
About the Judge
Michael Nicholas was born in 1942. For the past 40 years he has established a reputation as an environmental painter, mainly on the subject of birds within the landscape. The birds he paints are not highly detailed ornithological representations, but are more expressionistic in attempting to illuminate the essence of the bird in the manner of some Asian artists. His images glow with spirituality, and are deeply personal.
His work has been known throughout Australia for many years with exhibitions on the Eastern seaboard of Australia, including a retrospective in 2002 at Redcliff Regional Art Gallery in Queensland. Michael’s work has also been well received in the USA with exhibitions in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Represented in major State and Federal Government collections, as well as municipal galleries, universities, teaching colleges, and many corporate and private collections, Michael has won many of Australia’s most prominent art awards and has received wide critical acclaim.
More recently, Michael has concentrated on exploring the boundaries of his art rather than exhibiting, leading to a series of abstracts in 1999, religious works in 2000, and four bronze sculptures for a heritage walk in Brisbane.
He has been commissioned to paint numerous portraits during his career, including most recently a long-term project to paint portraits of all the Queensland Premiers from 1860 to 1946, and several other works, including the recent Premier, Peter Beattie.
The release of the book ‘I Love a Sunburnt Country’ in 1996, contained a series of paintings by Michael to accompany the poem, ‘My Country’ by Dorothea MacKellar. The book won its way into the hearts and homes of many people within Australia and overseas.
In 2005, a 2.5 metre bronze statue, ‘The Cunnamulla Fella’ designed by Michael, was unveiled in Cunnamulla, Queensland.
Prizes
- Grand Champion (Acquisitive) $2500 - Sponsored by Toowoomba Regional Council
- Runner-up $1000 - Sponsored by Crows Nest and Highfields Branches of Heritage Building Society
- Most Outstanding Emerging Artist - $1000 - Sponsored by Tosari Galleries. (Prize sponsor has first option to acquire work)
- Local - $750 - Sponsored by Crows Nest and Highfields Branches of Heritage Building Society (May be awarded to any resident of the Toowoomba Region.)
- Most Promising Young Painter- $500 (Acquisitive) - Sponsored by Crows Nest and Highfields Branches of Heritage Building Society (Entrants must be under 30 years of age before 30 June 2009.)
- Highly Commended - 2 Awards of $250
- People’s Choice Award - $500 - Votes counted at close of exhibition.
Conditions of entry
- An official entry form must be completed by each entrant. Photocopies will be accepted. Entry forms with applicable fees must reach the Crows Nest Regional Art Gallery by Friday 19 June 2009. Please address envelopes to Crows Nest Regional Art Gallery, PO Box 3021, Toowoomba Village Fair Q 4350.
- All works must be delivered to TRC Crows Nest Service Centre (25 Emu Creek Rd, Crows Nest) by Friday 26 June 2009. Exhibits may not be released from the gallery before midday, Sunday 2 August 2009.
- Artwork submitted must be the original unaided work of the entrant, no larger than 1 square metre, executed within 2 years prior to the closing date. (For variations on dimensions, contact gallery.)
- All works must be professionally prepared for installation with d-rings and hanging wire attached. A stretched canvas is considered framed. All works must have the following attached: artist’s name, address, phone number, title of the work and sale price.
- An entry fee of $25 for each work submitted must accompany the posted entry form. This fee is not refundable, regardless of whether the work is selected for exhibition. Only 2 works permitted per entrant. Cheques or money orders should be made payable to Crows Nest Regional Art Gallery.
- All work must be for sale and include 20% commission in the sale price. The winners selected for acquisition will not attract commission, receiving the full prize amount in exchange for the painting.
- All entrants are invited to the official opening and announcement of prize winners on Saturday 4 July 2009 at 6.30pm.
- For purposes of advertising, the entrant agrees to allow reproduction by the Crows Nest Regional Art Gallery of the works entered without payment of any fee.
- All care will be taken, but works shall at all times be the risk of the entrant and the gallery will not be liable for any loss or damage however caused.
- Artists are responsible for packing, freight and insurance charges. All freight costs to and from the exhibition must be prepaid by the artist. Freight money on any work sold or acquired will be refunded.
- The judge’s decision is final and no correspondence or discussion will be entered into.
Entry form
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