More than 300 people turned out to the 14th annual Mandurah Art Awards at the Alcoa Mandurah Art Gallery on Saturday, with Rob Nyisztor taking out the top prize.
There were more than 240 artworks are on exhibit with just under half of those being submitted by artists from the Peel region.
“All the artists exhibited in the 2018 Mandjar Art Awards should be praised for creating works of the highest quality and congratulations to all the award recipients,” Alcoa Mandurah Art Gallery curator Gary Aitken said.
“A special thank you to this year’s judge Diana McGirr of ArtGeo Busselton, for the contribution she has made to the success of this event.”
This year’s awards were sponsored by the Alcoa of Australia, City of Mandurah, the Halls Head Branch of the Bendigo Bank, Hunsa Smallgoods and Terrace Art Framers.
The awards ceremony was followed by a performance of Faith and Freedom: The Music of George Michael, by the Perth Symphony Orchestra and the WAAPA Gospel Choir, which received a standing ovation and three encores.
The awards exhibition will run until April 2 and during this time visitors will have the opportunity to vote for the People’s Choice Award.
This award is supported by the Bendigo Bank - Halls Head Branch and the winner will be announced at the end of the exhibition, once the votes have been counted.
As the Mandjar Art Awards are an acquisitive competition the top two winning artworks will be retained by the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre and will become part of the centre’s growing art collection.
Award winners:
- Alcoa of Australia Corporate Award – Ron Nyisztor
- City of Mandurah Regional Award – Robert Ewing
- Hunsa Smallgoods Highly Commended Corporate Award – Chris Goldberg
- Terrace Art Framers Highly Commended Regional Award – Martin Clarke
