17 Sept 2007 - Prestigious Cartoon Awards On Show

Entries for one of the world's most prestigious cartoon awards will be on display at the Bunker Cartoon Gallery from September 22 until October 31.

The Rotary Cartoon Awards, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Coffs Harbour City, Council and local businesses, have attracted the best of Australia's and the world's cartoonists since the award was set up in 1989. Past winners have included Sturt Krygsman, Peter Lewis, Mark Lynch, Neil Matterson, Alan Moir and David Rowe and entries have been submitted from countries as far afield as Ukraine and the Philippines. 

"This annual competition always attracts the best of the best and guarantees a lot of laughs and fun for anyone coming along to view the entries," said Gallery Curator/Director Dr Leigh Summers.

Anyone coming along to the exhibition is being encouraged to put their favourite cartoon forward for the People's Choice Award. Around 80 cartoon entries will be on show alongside an exhibition of past Cartoons of the Year and other category winners that will be hung in the Foyer. 

The Gala Presentation will be held from 6.30pm on Saturday September 29. Tickets are $25, including cocktails, and are available from the Bunker Gallery until September 21. Call 6651 7343 for more information or to book tickets.

Each category has a first prize of $750 and a merit prize of $250. As well as support from the Rotary Club of Coffs Harbour City and Coffs Harbour City Council, a number of local businesses have generously offered their sponsorship to the awards. These include Belbowrie Motors - Best Comic Strip, Ramsay Health Care (Baringa Hospital) - Open Theme, BCU (Banana Coast Credit Union) - Sports Theme, ANZ - Street Entertainment, Estuary Residential Estate - Caricature, Davis Knox - Global Warming, Rotary - Cartoon of the Year and Davis Knox - Political. Other supporters are Qantas Link, Kelly Travel, the Coffs Coast Advocate and Signarama.

The exhibition has been hung early this year specifically to coincide with the 2007 Buskers Festival. The Gallery will also hold a special preview for riders taking part in a Bike Week ride on Saturday, September 22, at 7.30am. 

The Bunker Cartoon Gallery houses the Coffs Cartoon Collection - the largest contemporary collection of original cartoons in Australia. The Bunker was originally refurbished and established as a gallery by the Rotary Club of Coffs Harbour City specifically to show the collection. In September 2006, the Coffs Harbour City Rotary Club donated the cartoon archive to the community and Coffs Harbour City Council assumed responsibility for the Bunker Cartoon Gallery and its permanent collection.