The 2023 Ipswich Art Awards have attracted a record 427 artists entering 570 artworks and the calibre of entries are lifting each year.
As the city’s most prestigious arts honour, the awards draw entries from emerging and established artists locally and from around Australia.
Entries include Ipswich Australia Day Awards Cultural Award winner Robin ‘Tallman’ Wakkajinda; Glen Smith, who is the president of Artsconnect, and last year’s People’s Choice Award winner Kate Douglas who was selected as a finalist in the 2022 Whitsundays Art Prize and the 2022 John Lesile Art Prise and Grant Quinn who currently has a solo exhibition at Ipswich Art Gallery.
The 2023 Ipswich Art Awards has nine categories including a People’s Choice, with winners in each category to receive $1,500 prize money plus a Best of Show winner receiving $3,000.
And includes new artwork from last year’s Best in Show category winner Kaitlyn Turner who has since been an Artist in Residence at the Ipswich Art Gallery teaching other creatives life drawing and colour mixing techniques.
This year’s entries will be judged by Rachel Arndt and Anna Thurgood.
Ipswich Art Gallery Director Claire Sourgnes said the diversity and level of interest reflects the appetite for the arts in Ipswich.
“Ipswich Art Awards will showcase the very best of the Ipswich creative community with examples of drawing, mixed media, new media, painting, watercolour, photography, print making and three dimensional work,” Claire Sourgnes said.
“The Ipswich arts scene continues to expand and mature and I encourage the community to enjoy the many wonderful artworks on display at this year’s exhibition.”
A 2023 Ipswich Art Awards Up Late event will be held from 6pm on Saturday May 27 at 1 Nicholas Street and include music and canapes. Tickets to the event are $25, book here.
In addition to the Up Late event, The 2023 Ipswich Art Awards exhibition at 1 Nicholas Street will be open to the public to view and purchase artwork from 10am to 2pm during the week and 10am to 3.30pm on weekends from Saturday 27 May to 3 June. Entry to the exhibition is free.
