Wednesday 19 March, 2008

Artists encouraged to enter Australia’s Richest Landscape Art Prize

Artists from right across Australia are invited to enter Australia’s richest prize for landscape painting, the $50,000 Fleurieu Art Prize.  The Prize is the centerpiece of the 2008 Fleurieu Biennale which will be held in South Australia’s picturesque Fleurieu Peninsula from 7 - 30 November 2008.

Established in 1998, the Fleurieu Art Prize celebrates the enduring importance and the contemporary significance of landscape painting in the Australian art world.

With awards totaling $91,000 and main prize on offer of $50,000, the program ranks as one of the most significant visual arts prize programs across Australia.

Past Winners of the Fleurieu Art Prize include South Australia’s Robert Hannaford (1998) and New South Wales’ Elisabeth Cummings (2000) Joe Furlonger (2002), Ian Grant (2004) and Ken Whisson formerly from Melbourne, now residing in Italy (2006). 

In 2008, the judging panel will include Artist, Art Educator and Former Director of the Art Gallery of Western Australia and National Gallery of Australia, Betty Churcher, Artbank Director Geoffrey Cassidy and artist Philip Wolfhagen. 

Artists are invited to submit entries in the following categories:

• The Fleurieu Art Prize – for Australian landscape painting

$50,000 Acquisitive sponsored by Wirra Wirra Vineyard, Hardy Wine Company and Tinlins Wines

• The Art of Food and Wine Prize – for paintings with a food and/or wine industry theme

$10,000 Acquisitive sponsored by Chapel Hill Winery. 

• The Fleurieu Peninsula Vistas Prize – for landscape painting of the Fleurieu Peninsula region

$10,000 Acquisitive sponsored by d’Arenberg

• The Fleurieu Water Prize – for paintings with an environmental water theme

$10,000 Acquisitive sponsored by Fox Creek Wines, Supported by SA Premiers Art Partnership Fund

• The Fleurieu Youth Scholarship – for a young Australian artist/s aged between 16 and 27 years towards the cost of a program of professional development

Up to $10,000 Sponsored by Santos

• People’s Choice Prize – will be awarded to the painting in the Fleurieu Art Prize voted the most popular by public ballot

Chair of the Fleurieu Biennale Board, arts identity Nicky Downer encourages artists across the nation to enter, “The Prize is a national celebration of landscape painting and Australian art and artists.  The Fleurieu Art Prize is held in the Fleurieu Peninsula, a region which has long been a source of inspiration for some of Australia’s most important landscape artists” she said.

Entry forms for the Fleurieu Art Prize are available for download at www.artprize.com.au or by calling Merilyn Cox Co-ordinator, Fleurieu Biennale on 08 8323 7984. Entries close Friday 1 August 2008.

Ends
Media enquiries: Merilyn Cox, Fleurieu Biennale Co-Ordinator, m 0427 013 704.