18 Sept 2007 - Major Arts Prize Contenders at Gallery

Four of the 42 artists shortlisted for this year's highly regarded Country Energy Art Prize for Landscape Painting will be at the Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery on Sunday, September 23, to talk about their work.

"Nearly 500 entries were received this year for this prestigious award - which offers a prize of $35,000 to the winner - and four were artists who have a close association with the Gallery," said Gallery Director/Curator Dr Leigh Summers.

"Nigel Killalea, who had an exhibition and an artist in residency at the Gallery earlier this year, Mike Riley, who has a show booked here in early 2009, Kim De Val Baker, who will have a show at the Gallery in December this year and Fiona Bennell, who won the Country Energy Prize in 2004, have all kindly agreed to come along this coming Sunday for a very special Sunday Salon.

"Each artist will have 15 minutes to talk about a work, or working drawing that is similar to their successful entry, and each will participate in an open question and answer session at the end.

"This will be a relaxed, chatty Sunday Salon and a great opportunity for people to ask the 'How', 'Why' and 'When' questions of each artist. There may even be a demonstration of painting techniques for the audience," she said.

This year the Country Energy Art Prize competition attracted the highest number of entries ever received in the history of the award.

The judging panel to select the finalists was made up of artists Bronwyn Bancroft and David Fairbairn, Cultural Director Maitland Regional Art Gallery Joseph Eisenberg, and Country Energy's managing director, Craig Murray. The overall winner will be decided by well-known artist Peter Kingston and announced at the Dubbo Regional Gallery on October 11.

Everyone is invited to the special Sunday Salon at the Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery to hear and meet the four local finalists. It will be held from 3pm-4pm on Sunday, September 23. Refreshments will be available. Entry is $5.