The shortlist has been revealed for STILL – the Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery’s inaugural National Still Life Award. The finalists were selected from over 600 entries – the highest number of entries in the award’s ten year history. Artists from all states and the ACT, and at all stages of their careers, are represented among the finalists.
“We’ve been bowled over by the number of entries and their variety,” says Gallery Curator Jo Besley. “Changing the Award to welcome entries in all media has opened the doors to a much wider field of artists working in all types of contemporary still life. It’s exciting to see that STILL has – in its very first year – been recognised as an important and nationally significant opportunity for artists.”
The overall winner will receive $20,000 and the winner of the People’s Choice Award will take home $5,000. Local Coffs Harbour sponsors support the award. Mercedes Benz Coffs Coast is the Major Sponsor alongside Supporting Sponsors Slater & Gordon, Saso Creative and Moving Art.
A total of 63 artists have been shortlisted. The selected artworks include painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, ceramics, glass, sculpture, video, printmaking and textiles.
The 2017 finalists are: Tony Albert, Louise Allerton, Kelly Austin, Tanya Baily, Elie Begg, Annette Blair, Rene Bolten, Mechelle Bounpraseuth, Terri Butterworth, Fran Callen, Tom Carment, Angela Casey, Tiffany Cole, Karl de Waal, Trisha Dean, Mary Donnelly, Scott Duncan, Sarah Edmondson, Nicolette Eisdell, Merran Esson, Ben Fayle, Guy Gilmour, Sarah Goffman, Ronnie Grammatica, Linda Greedy, Colleen Greig-Canty, Vanessa Holle, Alana Hunt, Susan Jacobsen, Laura Jones, Helle Jorgensen, Paul Kalemba, Laura E. Kennedy, Myriam Kin-Yee, Zai Kuang, Michael Langley, Sam Leach, Kellie Leczinska, Alison Mackay, Josh Mackenzie, Kiata Mason, Julian Meagher, Robert Moore, Stephen Nothling, Susan O’Doherty, Sarah O’Sullivan, Sassy Park, Victoria Reichelt, Elvis Richardson, Damien Shen, Brendan Smith, Tim Snowdon, Richard Spoehr, Vipoo Srivilasa, Nathan Taylor, Samantha Thompson, Anselm van Rood, Prue Venables, Lilli Waters, Kati Watson, Greg Weight, Mirra Whale and Cleo Wilkinson.
Richard Spoehr: Between Mind and Material, 2017. Handmade porcelain, metal found object / group of 3D objects. Courtesy of Stella Downer Fine Art.
The shortlisting panel comprised Director of Lismore Regional Gallery Brett Adlington, Sydney art collector and former board member of the Museum of Contemporary Art Lisa Paulsen, along with Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery Coordinator Cath Fogarty and Curator Jo Besley.
The award itself will be judged by Lisa Slade, Assistant Director Artistic Programmes, at the Art Gallery of South Australia.
