Excellence celebrated at 55th annual Art and Ceramic Exhibition

EXCELLENCE has been celebrated at the 55th annual Art and Ceramic Exhibition, staged by Arts Gunnedah at the Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery.

Amanda White and Rosemary Constable.

Artists, community members and civic leaders gathered to celebrate the much-loved display.

Arts Gunnedah president Tony Moran said this year’s exhibition had been a tremendous success with 116 artists represented across more than 350 works entered.

Mr Moran thanked sponsors and businesses for making the event possible.

Christiane Birkett, Katie Hurst and Marie Low.

Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson officially unveiled the exhibition and praised the outstanding quality.

Catering for the celebration was provided by community organisations, with Gunnedah Red Cross providing a delicious spread of food for exhibition-goers while the Rotary Club of Gunnedah West operated the bar.

Following the opening formalities, Owen Hasler addressed the gathering and acknowledged the volunteer work provided to make the exhibition a stand-out success.

Ingrid Kaineder and Jade Punch.

He particularly thanked Mr Moran, as president of Arts Gunnedah, and Martine Moran, the organisation’s secretary.

The coveted grand champion art prize was awarded to Isabella Sowerby, of Coonabarabran, for her entry titled ‘Fred’.

The entry is a portrait of iconic Moonbi potter Fred Hillier.

The grand champion ceramics prize was awarded to Carol Forster, of Buderim, for her entry ‘Motif, Curve and Line’.

Other winners included:

Watercolour: First Shirley Urquhart, second Lyn Short and highly commended Gary Yeomans.

Open: First Juju Borowski, second Keith Rixon and highly commended Adrienne Fleming.

Graphics: First Karen Turner, second Geoff Norris and highly commended Belinda Sims.

Printmaking: First Bronte Hall, second Louise Hill and highly commended Emily Simson.

Jonathan Young is pictured with his entry in this year’s exhibition.

Miniature: First Fonda Shae, second Louise Hill and highly commended Lyn Pratt.

Local subject, local artists: First Rachael Young, second Louise Hill and highly commended Ariya Darnell.

Still life: First Shirley Urquhart, second Stuart Dolbel and highly commended Blagoj Ristevski.

Novice: First Stuart Dolbel, second Narelle Rowland and highly commended Hope Phillips.

Elisabeth Heath, Joan Bray and Coral Lorimer.

Sculpture: First Sasha Jury Radford, second Julie Laurie and highly commended Keshini Lokhun.

Youth 10–14 years: Winner Alira Kennedy, second Sandra Parry and highly commended Sophie Williams.

Youth 15–18 years: Winner Lacey Pohle, second Molly Fleming

and highly commended Milla Petersen.

Thrown pot: First Annie Simson and second Carol Forster.

Hand-built pot: First Elaine Abberfield, second Dayle Lummis and highly commended Wendy Laird and Annie Simson.

Novice (ceramics): First Angela Melick, second Susi Bell and highly commended Annette Grover.