Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about the Young Archie competition, which promising young local artists between the ages of 13 and 18 across my region will be encouraged to enter. The Young Archie competition is part of the Archibald Prize 2015 regional tour, and our next generations of artists have been set the task of submitting a portrait of someone who they admire or who is known to them and may play a significant role in their lives. This is a tremendous opportunity for young artists to be involved in a very prestigious prize. The competition will showcase an amazing array of young, talented artists that we are very fortunate to have on the New South Wales North Coast.

The Tweed Regional Gallery and Margaret Olley Art Centre will feature the finalists from 15 January 2016 right through to 28 February 2016. The gallery director, Susi Muddiman, has said the Young Archie competition is open to those residents in the surrounding shires and includes two categories: artists aged 13 to 15, and artists aged 16 to 18. The competition will be judged based on merit and originality by local artists, Tamsin Ainslie and Robyn Sweaney, and the five finalists from each category will have the honour of being exhibited at the Tweed Regional Gallery during the Archibald Prize regional tour—a great achievement.

One winner will be chosen in each category who, along with the finalists, will receive prizes provided by the ANZ Bank, the Friends of Tweed Regional Gallery and also by the Sugarmill Studio at Murwillumbah. Best of luck to all of those entrants. We are very fortunate to have a wonderful creative community on the North Coast, and I encourage all those young people to get involved with this great competition.