Sydney-based interdisciplinary artist Consuelo Cavaniglia has been announced as the Guest Curator of the John Fries Award 2017.
Over the past 12 years, Consuelo has worked in a range of contemporary art spaces, universities, regional art centres and artist-led initiatives with projects in galleries, museums, commercial and public spaces strengthening her independent curatorial practice. Consuelo has also been a coordinator of significant national art prizes, including the Fremantle Arts Centre Print Award and the Cossack Art Award. She was Art Consultant at Artsource, and Exhibitions Coordinator at Fremantle Arts Centre.
Consuelo has exhibited widely around Australia. She completed an MFA at Sydney College of the Arts in 2016 and lectures in Art Processes within the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning at the University of Sydney.
Consuelo is enthusiastic about her appointment as curator, saying, “the John Fries Award is a fantastic opportunity for early-career artists to present work alongside peers in a highly visible and well regarded exhibition.”
“The award is committed to supporting early-career artists. It operates from an ethical basis, providing financial support for artists to develop and present work and encourages ambition in their practice,” Consuelo said.
“The Award provides a snapshot of contemporary art across Australia and New Zealand, showcasing some of the most exciting new practices. I’m eager to see the scope and calibre of entrants to the 2017 Award.”
In its eighth year in 2017, the John Fries Award is an annual non-acquisitive award of $10,000 recognising emerging and early career visual artists working in all mediums, from painting to conceptual art, performance to photography.
Judged by some of the industry’s well-known writers, artists, curators and educators, the John Fries Award has become a platform for some of the most engaging and experimental works from emerging artists across Australia and New Zealand.
CALL FOR ENTRIES OPEN: 16 JANUARY AND CLOSE 27 FEBRUARY 2017
“The prize has gone from strength to strength each year with many previous winners and finalists continuing to achieve other significant milestones in their careers. The Exhibition offers a glimpse of what’s occurring at the dynamic ‘emerging’ edge of the contemporary art scene, and heightens our expectations of the future.” – Kath Fries, Viscopy director, John Fries Award judge and daughter of the late John Fries