The Inaugural Wagait Art Prize
WAGAIT BEACH’S ANNUAL ART EXHIBITION has stepped it up a notch this year, with the introduction of the Wagait Art Prize at the reinvigorated Wagait Art Festival.
The theme for the 2019 festival is The Elements. Festival Coordinator Tracey Bunn says creativity has been bubbling and growing for years since the Wagait Arts Group began in 2013.
“The festival is a result of the annual Wagait Arts exhibition, which started in 2013 as a celebration of artists, now offering a great selection of music and stalls. This year, we’ve put more into the festival format and have some great entertainment – a couple of bands and some comedians," Bunn says.
“During the day, there’ll be craft stalls and food, and a series of workshops on professional development for artists, and other workshops for the general public.”
The Wagait Art Prize comes with some perks… That’s right baby, cash dollars – but only if you can impress judges Paul Johnstone and David Collins.
The first prize in the Open Section, for all Northern Territory artists, is $1000. The second category open to Cox Peninsula artists has $500 up for grabs for the winner, and young people can earn $200 for the top prize.
“The art prize is a way to encourage artists to push themselves,” Bunn says.
“We’re working towards making it a prestigious event for our artists, but we don’t want it to be a snobby art prize – we want it to be inclusive, so we’re encouraging everyone to participate.”
“It’s open to all mediums and skill levels – there’s no delineation between amateur and professional – if you’ve got passion and you’re an artist, then you should definitely enter.”
Applications close on September 13, so get cracking.
Wagait Arts Festival SAT 28 SEP | 10AM-11.30PM | WAGAIT SHIRE COUNCIL GROUNDS | $5-$20 ENTRY | wagaitartsgroup.com.au
