Thirty-six artists have been selected as finalists for the 2019 ‘Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize’, Bendigo Art Gallery’s biennial $50,000 acquisitive award for emerging and leading Australian artists. The winning work will become part of Bendigo Art Gallery’s permanent collection alongside works by previous winners including Stieg Persson, Dale Frank, Stephen Bush, Jan Nelson, Tim Johnson, Chris Bond, Guan Wei and Margaret Loy Pula.
Kez Hughes, DAMP, 2018, archival lightjet print, 65 x 85cm. Finalist 2019 Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize. Courtesy the artist and Bendigo Art Gallery
This year the ‘Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize’ attracted a record number of entries with 439 works submitted by artists from across each state of Australia as as well France, Germany and the Netherlands.
The 2019 judges Jessica Bridgfoot, Bendigo Art Gallery Director, Tracy Cooper-Lavery, Director of HOTA, Queensland and Roslyn Feeney, representing the Guy family, selected the following finalists: Kylie Banyard, Natasha Bieniek, Marion Borgelt, Angela Brennan, Kirsty Budge, Daniel Butterworth, Zhong Chen, Nadine Christensen, Leo Coyte, Greg Creek, Fernando do Campo, Mark Dober, Juan Ford, Helga Groves, Stephen Haley, Gregory Hodge, Kez Hughes, Jennifer Joseph, Dena Kahan, Adam Lee, Belem Lett, Richard Lewer, Dane Lovett, Jordan Marani, Karla Marchesi, Rob McHaffie, Moya Mckenna, Jahnne Pasco-White, Victoria Reichelt, Noel Skrzypczak, Michael Vale, Judith Van Heeren, Craig Waddell, Megan Walch, Amber Wallis and Darren Wardle.
‘The 2019 finalist pool offers an exciting mix of established and emerging artists, with varying interests – abstraction, portraiture and still life traditions are all represented,’ said Bridgfoot.
Craig Waddell, Floating in a Sea of Love, 2019. Finalist 2019 Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize. Courtesy the artist and the Bendigo Art Gallery
‘The AGMPP is also an important survey of contemporary Australian panting, and we thank the Guy family for continuing this generous and important prize,’ she added.
The ‘Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize’ was initiated by Mr Allen Guy CBE (1917-2007) to honour his brother Arthur Guy (1914-1945) whose life was tragically cut short whilst in service in New Guinea. Arthur was educated at Camp Hill State School in Bendigo and then at Ballarat Grammar School.
The exhibition of finalists works will be on show at Bendigo Art Gallery from September 14 and will continue through to 8 December 2019. The winner will be announced at the opening on the evening of Thursday September 19, 5.30pm.
