What is wrong with Art in Australia?

Curated by Fiona Lee

The work of Bill Henson has attracted much criticism of late due its contentious nature. With this and other controversies surrounding art and artists in Australia today highlighted by the media, STATE OF THE ARTS 2008 is well-timed.  This open prize show invites current students of the University of Newcastle to engage with and respond to the world today by creating new art works.

STATE OF THE ARTS 2008 challenges the commonly accepted notion of what an artist is and encourages entrants to experiment with innovative means, any range of subject matter and by including their own comments, thoughts and reactions, provide their own perspective on the social and political state of art in Australia today.

New works that respond to the theme STATE OF THE ARTS 2008 will be eligible to win, for the first time in the seventeen year history of the Annual Student Acquisitive Art Prize, a Travelling Scholarship worth $1300, which will be awarded to the overall winner.  This artwork will be acquired by the UoN Services Ltd and become part of their permanent art collection. Three Highly Commended Awards worth $500 each and two Framing Awards to the value of $200 each will also be awarded.

The judge this year is Marion Borgelt, a significant Sydney artist who has work in 35 major public collections in Australia & overseas, the National Gallery of Australia & all of the Australian state art collections.

The exhibitions continue until Sunday 14 September and gallery hours are Wednesday - Sunday
12 noon - 6pm. For enquiries please phone Anne McLaughlin on 4921 5188 or Fiona Lee on 0421 710 583