Art lovers have until August 2 to view the winners in the Crows Nest Regional Art Gallery's 2009 Acquisitive Painting Prize.

The lucrative exhibition attracted 117 entries and awards were presented at the official opening on July 4.

The Grand Champion painting prize of $2500 sponsored by Toowoomba Regional Council was awarded to Fr Paul McCormack from Toowoomba with his pastel work titled ‘Christine’.

Left: Winning entry in the Crows Nest Acquisitive Painting prize – ‘Christine’ by Fr Paul McCormack.

The runner-up prize of $1000 went to an acrylic work titled ‘Lamberts Waterhole - NT’ by Tom McAulay from Woodford while the most outstanding emerging artist award was won by Russell Cramp from Tallegudgera with his oil on Belgium linen painting called ‘Rain over Tallebudgera’.

 Young Brisbane painter Carly Scoufos took out the most promising young painter award of $500 with an acrylic work titled ‘Clasped’ while Kenneth Inwood’s ‘Departure’ acrylic painting won the Local Artist category. Two highly commended awards of $250 went to Warwick painter Paul Milburn with his ‘Yangan Landscape’ and Caloundra painter Barry Green’s watercolour painting of ‘St Pauls Cathedral’.

Award-winning landscape painter Michael Nicholas judged the awards. Mr Nicholas is an established environmental painter who has held many solo exhibitions in eastern Australia.

Right:Local artist Michele Kudell, left, with Mary Hendrick, Redland Bay artist Angela Mulligan and Ian Avery, also from Redland Bay.

Cultural, Heritage and Facilities portfolio leader Cr Ros Scotney said with close to 120 entries, the 2009 competition was the biggest staged since the inaugural event in 1998.

“This far outstrips the former mark of 80 artworks and represents a tremendous endorsement of the growing popularity and stature of this award in the region and across the State.

Cr Scotney praised the hard work and enthusiasm of Crows Nest Regional Art Gallery Exhibitions Officer Jo Petrou and her dedicated volunteers who “share the passion and the drive to stage an exhibition attractive to artists and the wider arts community”.

The People’s Choice award will be tallied and announced at the conclusion of the exhibition.

Local art show supporters Bri Kliese, Ross Plant, sponsor and Colours of San Cris owner Leonie Kliese and Barbara Plant.