A Stroke of Genius

If you’ve attended any of Tactile Arts’ Makers Markets or exhibitions over the years, you’d know Territory locals are positively brimming with artistic talent. So, an award to recognise said talents makes sense, right? Right. Cue the inaugural Northern Territory Art Award.

^{By Jenna Kirkham}

AS AN ORGANISATION on the forefront of the NT’s contemporary art scene for decades now Tactile Arts, in collaboration with Darwin Visual Arts (DVA), is thrilled to launch the inaugural Northern Territory Art Award.

Tactile Art’s General Manager Aneka Truman says, after previous surveys conducted found an art award in Darwin sorely missing, they look forward to bringing an award like this back to the Territory. 

“I don’t believe there’s every really been an art award in Darwin. From the 1980s to early 2000s, there was an award called the National Craft Acquisition Award … where, nationally, people could enter amazing craft pieces,” she says.

“MAGNT were showing me these amazing things, and obviously then I had a conversation with my board at Tactile and asked, ‘why aren’t we doing this anymore?’”

With the combined forces of Tactile and DVA, the goal is to make the award as big and as successful as possible for artists in the NT.

“It’s really a case of celebrating what amazing talent we have in Darwin and the Northern Territory, and trying to showcase … the best of the best to try and get people to see how amazing everyone is.”

To enter, artists must currently be residing in the NT, with the submitted work having been completed in the past two years. All mediums are accepted, with a handsome first place cash reward of $5,000.

“It would be great if people, whether you’re an artist or just a hobbyist, it would be great to have people just entering and exploring art,” Truman says.

“I would hope the NT Art Award will help people to try and get interested in art, try something new.”

Highly commended pieces will be featured in exhibitions in Darwin, at the Hilton as well as the Tactile Arts Gallery.

“Exciting that it’s the first one and hopefully many more to come,” says Truman.

Tactile Arts 
WHEN FRI 13 – SUN 29 SEP
AT TACTILE ARTS GALLERY

DoubleTree
WHEN THU 19 – THU 26 SEP
AT DOUBLETREE BY HILTON

INFO tactilearts.org.au

^{Header, Thumbnail & Inset: Photo: Charlie Bliss}