Though Australia’s most prestigious art prize might be on exhibition at Lismore Regional Gallery very soon, it’s another competition that has young artists holding their paint brushes aloft.
The Young Archies is the children’s edition of the long-standing Archibald Prize competition featured at the Art Gallery of NSW annually.
This year, to coincide with the regional tour to Lismore, local children were given the opportunity to create a portrait of a ‘special person’ in their lives.
The competition was open to children between the ages of 5 to 18 years and there were four age categories: 5-8 year olds, 9-12 year olds, 13-15 year olds and 16-18 year olds.
The portraits have been submitted and 23 finalists have been selected.
Finalists include Eva Henderson, Kiara McAnally, Odynn Machell and Grace Forster.
The Young Archies Competition finalists will have their work exhibited in the Lismore Regional Gallery during The Archibald Prize exhibition. The winners for each age category will be judged by local renowned artist and children’s book illustrator Michelle Dawson and announced on Sunday May 12 at the Peggy Popart Tour from 11.30am.
The works will be on display from 16 April Lismore Youth Festival (Youth Week) and stay on display with the Archibald Prize exhibition until 16 June.
BUT WAIT, you also get the Archibald
Prestigious and controversial, The Archibald Prize is Australia’s foremost portraiture prize. Awarded to the best painting of a notable Australian, The Archibald Prize is a who’s who of Australian culture, from politicians to celebrities and from sporting heroes to artists.
In a coup for the region, Lismore Regional Gallery will host The 2018 Archibald Prize exhibition in its entirety, the furthest north in Australia the national touring show will be exhibited.
‘We are so excited to be able to present this much anticipated exhibition in our new gallery, and already are receiving so many queries from visitors further afield coming to Lismore,’ says Brett Adlington, Lismore Regional Gallery Director.
‘There is something incredibly unique about The Archibald Prize, in its ability to truly capture the imagination of not just the Australian art world, but the broader public,’
All the finalists in The 2018 Archibald Prize, including the winning portrait Self-portrait after George Lambert by Yvette Coppersmith, will be on display at Lismore Regional Gallery from 18 April to 16 June. Yvette Coppersmith will be in Lismore to open the exhibition at a ticketed Gala Event on Wednesday 17 April.
The works from all of the Archies finalists can be seen online.