Regional Art Awards exhibition showcases Iconic Queensland

17 Mar 2018

Toowoomba is the first destination for a touring exhibition of iconic visual art, created by artists from right across Queensland.

In Toowoomba today, Minister for the Arts Leeanne Enoch said it was exciting to officially open the exhibition, Iconic Queensland, at University of Southern Queensland’s Artsworx Gallery in Toowoomba.

“Iconic Queensland features the best of the 2017 Queensland Regional Art Awards and it is wonderful to be able to launch this here in Toowoomba,” Ms Enoch said.

“This exhibition, presented by Flying Arts Alliance, features the state’s diverse natural beauty, heritage and people.

“It is a great chance to see works by artists from the Torres Strait to the Sunshine Coast, along with 2017 Queensland Regional Art Award winners from Cooktown, Imbil, Ipswich, Gulliver, Redcliffe, Rockhampton and Woombye.

“It is amazing that we are able to share these works from right across Queensland.

“People in regional and remote areas in Queensland will also have the chance to view this wonderful art, as this exhibition will be touring through communities including Ingham, Emerald, Julia Creek, Munduberra, Childers and Warwick.”

Ms Enoch thanked Flying Arts Alliance for their annual touring exhibition of award-winning work from each year’s Queensland Regional Art Awards.

“The quality and quantity of award entries grows each year,” Ms Enoch said.

“The Queensland Regional Arts Awards were established eight years ago and are an annual visual arts awards and touring program for artists living in regional and remote Queensland.

“In 2017, more than 220 works were submitted, using a variety of media such as digital, paint, print, sculpture and textiles.”

The 2018 Queensland Regional Art Awards opens in April with the theme Wanderlust.

Ms Enoch said the Iconic Queensland exhibition featured works from award-winning artists from last year’s Regional Art Awards, including Redcliffe artist Jo St Baker, who drew upon childhood memories of making sandcastles along the coastline of Moreton Bay for her sculpture, The Sandmen.

“Erin Dunne captured a moment in time and the lush green of summer in Rockhampton with her watercolour, Iconic Suburban Summer Rituals: Nana’s Back Garden.

“Printmaker Jane Dennis of Cooktown used rice paper and ink for Bait Ball to reveal the unique beauty of fish while Imbil artist Meaghan Shelton addresses the experiences of colonial women in Votive which features doilies and lace.”

Iconic Queensland, guest curated by Henri Van Noordenburg from the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, is on at USQ Artsworx Gallery until 11 April 2018.

For more information on the awards and Iconic Queensland visit www.flyingarts.org.au

2017 Queensland Regional Art Awards winners include:

• Jo St Baker (Redcliffe), The Sandmen – Flying Arts ‘Art for Life’ Award
• Erin Dunne (Rockhampton), Iconic Suburban Summer Rituals: Nana’s Back Garden – The Annie Tan Memorial Watercolour Award
• Shanoa Rea (Woombye), Everyone Knows That One Girl – Betty Crombie Young Artist Development Award
• Meaghan Shelton (Imbil), Votive – Textile Art Award
• Alan Tulloch (Ipswich), Float – Digital Art Award
• Barbara Cheshire (Gulliver), Universal Pulse 1 – Regional Artist Award
• Jane Dennis (Cooktown), Bait Ball – Remote Artist Award
• Scott Denholm (Moffat Beach), Surrender – People’s Choice Award (Adult)
• Helenna Dohle (Linville), Stairway to Heaven – People’s Choice Award (Youth).

Photos: 
The Sandmen by Jo St Baker, bamboo resin and sand sculptured 7 figures (2017)
Resilience (detail) by Vicki Buttrose, acrylic (2017)