Acclaimed WA artist Andy Quilty was named the winner of the Vasse Art Awards on April 14.
Quilty won the Vasse Development/Hanson Property and Bendigo Bank Busselton $8000 prize for his work, Winston (Young One).
The piece portrays Winston, a 76 year-old prison officer who still works at the same maximum-security jail he has been an employee at for over 35 years.
Quilty was unable to attend the event, but his sister, Heidi, accepted the award on his behalf.
“My wife and I just had our first child a month ago and like many new parents, financial pressures are inescapable, so this win could not have come at a better time,” Quilty said via statement.
“My art practice is predominantly how I make my living, so while art prizes are great for a confidence boost, they also have real tangible impact in allowing me to continue making work.
“I would like to express my gratitude to all the artists who exhibited this year, entering art prizes can be a pretty fraught experience, these things are often fickle and I’ve no doubt there’s many works every bit as good if not better than mine, which only makes me more appreciative to have had a win tonight.”
He said he loved entering the biannual awards, which raise money for Vasse Primary School.
“The exhibition has a fabulous community driven approach and so I am very sorry to be missing tonight’s opening.”
Karen Frankel was awarded the $2000 second prize for Banksias.
Kim Stanley took out the Indigenous category for Maar Keyen and Lesley Meaney and Sam Broadhurst won the Home Grown talent section.
Dorothy Davies’ Plum Bay was awarded the Emerging Artist nod, while Peter Zappa, Donovan, Simon Hemsley and Matthew Thorley were highly commended/
The People’s Choice will be announced at the end of the exhibition and the Students’ Choice next term.
The 2018 Vasse Art Award exhibition will run from April 15 to 21 from 10am to 3pm at Vasse Primary School.
An art catalogue and purchases are also available online at vasseartaward.org.au.
