40,000 reasons why you should get your Art Awards submissions ready

Feature image
Jessica Wentzel, Communities and Communications Advisor at Queensland Alumina Limited, Claire Robinson, Exhibitions & Education Officer at Gladstone Regional Art Gallery & Museum and Chin Ching Soo, Community and Communications Specialist at Rio Tinto. Photo: E. Korotkaia

40,000 reasons why you should get your Art Awards submissions ready

Artists across the nation are encouraged to submit their entries into Queensland's much-anticipated art awards, The 44th Rio Tinto Martin Hanson Memorial Art Awards.

Hosted by the Gladstone Regional Art Gallery & Museum, the Awards have established themselves as a significant national event, receiving hundreds of artwork entries each year.

Gladstone Region Councillor and Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF) chair, Glenn Churchill, said the Gallery & Museum was calling for submissions in Easel Paintings, Works on Paper, Three Dimensional & Fibre Works and Digital Works to vie for the 22 awards up for grabs.

“Sponsored by Rio Tinto and Queensland Alumina Limited, one talented artist will walk away with the coveted overall prize of $15,000, The 44th Rio Tinto Martin Hanson Memorial Art Award,” Cr Churchill said.

“In addition, a prize pool of $25,000 will be presented across 21 awards.”

Cr Churchill thanked the generous support of the all-local individuals, businesses and industry who have sponsored the event, alongside Gladstone Regional Council, including Gladstone Area Water Board, Australia Pacific LNG, Gladstone Ports Corporation and Gladstone Cinemas.

“I am also proud to announce the inaugural Pamela Whitlock Memorial Acquisitive Award initiative,” he said.

“Pamela was the Director at the Gladstone Regional Art Gallery & Museum from 1993 until 2014, and it was during this time the Gallery & Museum took over the administration and expansion of the Martin Hanson Memorial Art Awards.

“It is a great honour for us to commemorate the invaluable contribution Pamela made to arts and culture within the Gladstone Region.”

Submissions for The 44th Rio Tinto Martin Hanson Memorial Art Awards are to be delivered to the Gallery & Museum, corner of Goondoon and Bramston streets, Gladstone, between 10am-5pm, Thursday 10, Friday 11 and Saturday, 12 October 2019.

Council advises the Gallery & Museum will be closed from Monday, 14 October until Friday, 18 October, for the exhibition installation. The Gallery will reopen 10am, Saturday, 19 October 2019.

The entry fee is $15 per submission, with a maximum of two entries per artist accepted. Entry forms are available at the Council offices, venues and libraries, the Gallery & Museum or online at www.gragm.qld.gov.au.

For all enquiries, contact the Gallery & Museum on (07) 4976 6766 or email gragm@gladstone.qld.gov.au.