Congratulations to Juanita McLauchlan, recipient of the 25th annual Windmill Trust Scholarship for regional NSW artists.
McLauchlan will use the $10,000 scholarship to produce a new body of work that draws upon her Gamilaraay identity and family history to explore family connections through body adornment. This enquiry will result in Everywhen, a major solo exhibition at Wagga Wagga Gallery, New South Wales, curated by Julie Ewington and opening in May 2023.
“I’m pretty excited to be receiving this scholarship,” said Juanita McLauchlan. “To make the new work for Everywhen it is essential that I visit my family’s ancestral country on Gamilaraay land at Kootingal, near Tamworth and I would not be able to afford this without assistance. This opportunity will enhance it to another level. I am on the edge of an incredibly exciting and moving moment in my practice. I feel that all the threads are coming together in a really positive and productive way.”
Juanita McLauchlan, Standing at the heart of seven generations, 2022, installation view, bush dyed woollen blankets, thread and possum fur, sizes variable, 30–80cm
Printmaker McLauchlan’s proposal involved developing ideas and techniques incorporating textiles and sculpture to find new ways to explore her Aboriginal heritage through her practice, which for generations was kept very quiet, as a family matter out of the eye of society and the authorities.
“McLauchlan has submitted a compelling application, with a clear demonstration of need, and a strong vision for the future trajectory of her practice. We are excited to see McLauchlan’s skillful work expand,” said this year’s assessors, artist and 2021 scholarship recipient Dr Judith Nangala Crispin and artist and writer Matt Chun.
“We are thrilled to support a project that contributes equally to First Nations culture and contemporary practice. McLauchlan’s work is utterly relevant and deeply rooted in culture. This is what it looks like when an Aboriginal artist stands up inside her power.”
“McLauchlan’s project will strengthen her connection with land and provide a blueprint for others to do the same. Her proposal is a bold and compassionate act of truth-telling, as respectful of Country as it is of people.”
“The calibre of [this year’s] applications reflects the ongoing resilience and creativity of NSW regional artists. The insights from Juanita McLauchlin’s practice and its strong connection to country are a wonderful affirmation of Primrose Moss’ original vision for the Windmill Trust Scholarship,” said Trustee, Victoria Weekes and Windmill Trust Management Committee Member, Julia Harvey.
The Windmill Trust Scholarship was born out of a desire to offer support to NSW artists living outside metropolitan areas to advance their careers.
