15 April 2011 News & Events
Prestigious award for local artist
Ben Richardson is the inaugural winner of Vitrify Alcorso Ceramic Award. Ben won the $10,000 award for his installation of ceramic work ‘Placed - a series of groupings of wood-fired stoneware vessels.
The judges described Ben's work as reflecting a strong sense of place.
This year's four finalists included mainland artists Kim-Anh Nguyen (NSW) and Prue Venables(Vic), and Tasmanian artists Ben Richardson and Belinda Winkler.
Alcorso Foundation spokesperson Pat Cleveland said she was thrilled by the quality of applications received, and by the caliber of the finalists.
"It's a truly wonderful exhibition of ceramics for our first year of this award.
"We have had strong support from private sponsors and from the arts community generally to get this national award up and running.
"It's a terrific initiative that we hope will raise the profile of ceramics as a unique and valuable artform."
Adding to the prestige of the award, the judging panel this year included:
• celebrated Tasmanian ceramicist, Les Blakebrough
• head of the Tasmanian School of Art at UTAS, Professor Noel Frankham
• renowned chef and ceramics collector, Tetsuya Wakuda
Mr Blakebrough said the judges' decision was a difficult one.
"The work of all four finalists was of an exceptional technical standard," he said.
"Furthermore, all four artists have distinct aesthetic and conceptual concerns.
"The exhibition is a wonderful showcase of ceramic possibilities."
The Alcorso Vitrify Award was established in 2010 and is open to artists nationally. Four finalists were selected from a large field of entries in October 2010 and have spent four months preparing work for the group exhibition that opens tonight.
The exhibition will continue at Colville Gallery, Salamanca Place, Hobart until April 25.
Applications for the 2012 Vitrify Alcorso Award will open in September 2011.
More information is available at www.vitrify.com.au
For more information please contact:
Denise Robinson, Alcorso Foundation, 0447 125 541