While the rain has thrown a wet blanket over the start of Easter for many, it’s the perfect weather to visit an art exhibition.
Last night’s opening of the Byron Arts Classic saw 400 people pack the Byron Bay Community Centre, including many of the artists themselves, to view the more than 300 works on display.
Judges Emma Walker, David Young, Brett Adlington and Angus McDonald had the unenviable task of deciding which of the contestants should share in the more than $8000 of prizemoney.
In the end, they settled on 21 works covering the disciplines of painting, photography, sculpture, textiles and works on paper (see full list of winners below).
Apart from the event itself, the aims of the Byron Arts Classic include: showcasing the diversity and quality of local visual artists; encouraging emerging and established visual artists; fostering networking between artists; linking together sponsors of the arts, artists, collectors and galleries; financially assisting artists of the region; and facilitating an artist in residence program.
The Byron Arts Classic continues at the Byron Bay Community Centre until April 8.
| Category | Award | First Name | Surname | Title of Artwork |
| PAINTING | Aquisitve | Melitta | Perry | The Gatekeepers (Bentley) |
| PAINTING | First | Sean | Connors | Ashen Remains |
| PAINTING | Second | Skye | Baker | Isle of Turning |
| PAINTING | HC | Julie | Corbet | Gemaria |
| PAINTING | HC | Sabrina | Simoni | Without Words, Afgani Girl |
| PHOTOGRAPHY | First | Dean | Beletich | Digital Love |
| PHOTOGRAPHY | Second | Sue | Rado | Flat Rock meets VIII ker |
| PHOTOGRAPHY | HC | Venus | Kondos | Vivid Orange |
| PHOTOGRAPHY | HC | Petra | Stark | Cloned |
| SCULPTURE | First | James | Hopkinson | Belvedere |
| SCULPTURE | Second | Marilyn | Marchwicki | Wastenot Wantnot |
| SCULPTURE | HC | Leora | Sibony | Being from the Undergrowth |
| TEXTILE | First | Mirra-Winni | Gaze | Oceanna and the Dilly-Bag – A Textile Number |
| TEXTILE | HC | Karen | Dixon | Abundance |
| WORKS ON PAPER | First | Carolyn | Delzoppo | Banksia Integrifolia – Cycle |
| WORKS ON PAPER | Second | Chrissy | Huntsman | Here and Now |
| WORKS ON PAPER | HC | Susan | Jacobsen | Property Marks – diptych |
| WORKS ON PAPER | HC | Colleen | DaRosa | Kata |
| PAINTING | Curators Choice | Elaine | Green | Remembered Landscape (Triptych) |
| WORKS ON PAPER | BAREBONES | Susan | Jacobsen | Property Marks – diptych |
| SCULPTURE | BAREBONES | Karen | Jennings |
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