The Mission to Seafarers Victoria (MtSV) introduced the Maritime Art Awards in 2002 and has fast become recognised as Australia’s leading maritime art award. Prize money awarded to date has exceeded $129,000 and the organisation has raised approximately $180,000 toward the provision of seafarers’ welfare services in Victoria. This year marks the 10 Year anniversary of the exhibition, promoting excellence in maritime and seafaring subjects in art. Mr. Ken Fehily, Chairman of the Melbourne Art Foundation and Acting Chairman Places Victoria, will officially open the 2012 ANL Maritime Art Prize & Exhibition at the Awards Ceremony at Docklands today, Thursday October 4.
An outstanding year for entries and a busy 2012 Selection Panel which included Julian Twigg winner of the 2007 ANL Maritime Art Award resulted in 85 works from 68 artists who will now contend for this year’s 3 major award categories. According to MtSV’s Andrea Fleming , “artists from around Australia have responded with varying interpretations to the perpetual theme ‘the relationship between humanity and the sea’.
She said they have responded in both contemporary and traditional methods to the theme to present a collector’s exhibition of maritime art. She added “Many people have enjoyed and contributed to the exhibition. Maritime art is now perhaps a niche genre compared to the 17th-19th century and is well worthy of celebration as is seen in this year’s entries.”
Exhibition Curator Beth Humphries said “The exhibited works give an injection of life into maritime art and remind us of the enormity of the oceans that surround us. They also reveal a diversity of opinion and understanding of humanity’s relationship to the sea, through different artistic styles and content. There are works providing a nostalgic sense of tranquility and those that remind us of the inherent violence and unpredictability of the sea – an element of life that cannot be mastered.
Global efforts to improve conditions for seafarers are constant, as has been the provision of welfare services by the MTSV since 1857 in the Port of Melbourne. The ANL Maritime Art Prize is an important event made possible with thanks to naming rights sponsor ANL, corporate sponsors, the contributing artists and the individuals who give their time and expertise to curate, judge and select the works.
The Mission to Seafarers Victoria will announce the winners each to receive a cash prize on its website tomorrow, Friday October 5 including The ANL Maritime Art Award $15,000 cash prize, ASP Group Best in Traditional Maritime Art Award prize $5,000 cash and Bendigo Wealth Emerging Maritime Artist Award $5,000.
The winners will also be announced on Art Almanac’s website in our News section – stay tuned!
The exhibition is to be hosted at the historic seafarers centre at the unique DOME Gallery, at 717 Flinders Street, Docklands, Melbourne – October 5 to 31, Wednesday – Sunday, 12.00 to 7.00.
Warren Lane, Australian National Anthem Verse Two Lines 5 and 5 (Amer)
Joni Dennis, Coming South
