Blacktown City Council - Arts Prize Announced 2020

 

Blacktown City  Art Prize winners announced The winners of the 2020 Blacktown City Art Prize have been announced. Linda Brescia was awarded the Main Prize for her work Peggy, a painted portrait of Peggy Guggenheim, which the judges described as an 'evocative, fierce portrait of a historical feminist icon'. The work features a homage in the earring to the artist's long time friend, Blue Mountains-based artist photographer Elaine Campaner, who passed away during the painting of the work. Dennis Golding won the Aboriginal Artist Prize for his work From home to home, which explores empowering notions of Indigenous cultural identity. Judges described From home to home as 'striking' and 'cheeky' with 'complex references and theatrical use of the curtain as a cape'. Seven Hills-based artist Graham Cheney received the Local Artist Prize for his acrylic painting Auntie Rita Wright. Auntie Rita Wright is an Aboriginal leader, Stolen Generations survivor and resident of Shalvey, Blacktown. The work was described by judges as a 'welcoming and sensitive composition' containing a 'landscape within a portrait'. The exhibition will be open at The Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre from 28 November 2020 to 28 January 2021.  Images (left to right): Linda Brescia, Peggy; Dennis Golding, From home to home; Graham Cheney, Auntie Rita Wright. Images by Jennifer Leahy. Read the announcement of winners Register your visit Open studio sessions  Wednesdays 2, 9 & 16 December Join artist Patrice Wills in our welcoming and creative Open Studio sessions where you can experiment with materials, learn new skills and make meaningful connections. Book now Young Creatives' Space with Sam Absurd Saturdays 5 & 12 December, 2 - 4 pm Create a unique graffiti artwork! Street artist Sam Absurd is facilitating beginner workshops for young people interested in learning how to construct graffiti style lettering using specialised paint markers.  Book now Summer School Holiday Workshops Wednesday 13 January - Saturday 23 January 2021 Looking for something to do this summer after the craziness of the silly season? Make animals from clay, create your own superhero cape, draw with charcoal or experiment with mixed media in our Summer School Holiday workshop program. Bookings will open next Tuesday 8 December so stay tuned! Image: Gerrie Mifsud Elders in Residence Fridays, 10.30 am - 12.30 pm Free Drop by and spend time with our Elders and knowledge holders on Friday mornings at The Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre. Make connections and share stories with community over a cuppa and damper. Learn more here The Sunday Stir | Sydney Festival  Blacktown Arts in partnership with Australian National Maritime Museum and Settlement Services International 10 January, 2 pm - 8 pm Free Mix it up at the Maritime Museum for an afternoon of art, storytelling, music and culture. Experience local contemporary artists sharing their stories of migration through drawing, poetry, story and song in a vibrant and interactive program that celebrates Australia’s multicultural society. Learn more here Image: Maryam Zahid by Anna Kucera Theatre Kantanka What thoughts and questions emerged during this period of forced isolation? Theatre Kantanka was in residence at The Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre to create a series of virtual reality works in collaboration with incredible local Sydney artists.   Each artist has created a short work that responds to the lockdown, its origins, its impact on human behavior and the environment, and the future possibilities for a world post-pandemic. Created with the support of Blacktown Arts, Australia Council for the Arts and Create NSW. Experience it here

#ThisIsHowWeMakeArt Blacktown Arts is an initiative of Blacktown City Council and is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW.

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