Students awarded for their artistic efforts to celebrate Australia

Students awarded for their artistic efforts to celebrate Australia

The winners of Gladstone Regional Council's 2017 Celebrate Australia Primary School Art Competition were presented prizes today at Council's Australia Day Family Fun Day at Millennium Esplanade, Tannum Sands. 

Gladstone Region Mayor Matt Burnett said the competition, now in its 11th year, enabled residents to see images of Australia through the eyes of our younger generations. 

"Since 2006, Council has been encouraging our region's primary school students to participate in Australia Day and create an artwork of an aspect of our nation that is special to them," Councillor Burnett said. 

"This year 227 entries were received with artworks featuring plenty of flora and fauna, family outings, mateship, sporting and architectural icons."

Competition judge, Gladstone Regional Art Gallery & Museum Curator Jo Duke, said the standard of entries this year had made choosing the winners difficult. 

Council's Environment & Community Services Committee Chair Councillor Cindi Bush said three prizes and four Highly Commended awards had been awarded in each section. 

"Thank you to all our budding young artists for participating and sharing their thoughts about Australia," Cr Bush said. 

"It has been wonderful to see our younger residents use different artistic mediums to express their ideas and show their creativity." 

The works of competition finalists will be on display at the Gladstone Tondoon Botanic Gardens' Visitors Centre Gallery until January 31, the Gladstone Regional Art Gallery & Museum from February 2 to 28 and at the Leo Zussino Building, CQUniversity Gladstone Marina Campus from March 6 to 31. 

To commemorate Australia Day 2017, free souvenir postcards of the prize winning works will be available at all three exhibitions.

As part of the Gladstone Saiki Sister City Cultural Exchange Program, 14 selected works will travel for display in Saiki City, Japan in September. 

The 2017 Celebrate Australia Primary School Art Competition winners are: 

Section One (Prep-Year 2)

First Prize: Aboriginal Flag by Ashton Little 
Second Prize: Echidna in the Desert by Noah Coster
Third Prize: Happy Australia Day 2017 by Adayat Anis
Highly Commended: Australia Zoo by Skylah Carlyon
Highly Commended: Australian Outback Animals by Ella Van Blerk
Highly Commended: Great Barrier Reef by Raven-Lily Bickle-Wallace
Highly Commended: A Summer Day in Hervey Bay by Tobey Butcher 

Section Two (Year 3- Year 6)

First Prize: Bird's Eye View of Sydney Harbour by Michael Marriott
Second Prize: A Turtle by Alex Watson
Third Prize: My Home Australia by Cadence Ware
Highly Commended: Sun Hidden Behind Uluru by Alice Falconer
Highly Commended: Saving Echidnas by Samaul Brown
Highly Commended: The Nature of the Sea by Nyah Loosmore
Highly Commended: Australia and Japan Unite by Talyn Williams