20/11/2008

Entries in ‘the churchie’ open December 1

Emerging artists can enter the churchie national emerging art exhibition 2009 from Monday 1 December 2008. 

Applications can be made online simply by filling out a form and downloading an image of each entry at http://www.churchieemergingart.com/

Known as ‘the churchie’, this leading Australian emerging art award offers a $10,000 non-acquisitive prize to the overall winner. 

•                      moving images
•                      paintings
•                     works on paper
•                      photography 
•                      sculpture

New conditions of entry ensure entrants are ‘emerging’ and those whose work is pre-selected may be investigated to qualify their ‘emerging’ status. 

To be eligible to enter ‘the churchie’, ‘emerging artists’ are to have specialised training in their field, be at an early stage of their career, not have been successfully represented by a commercial gallery, and be able to demonstrate their emerging artist status.

In the 2009 award, emerging artists can submit up to three works in total that have been completed in the 12 months prior to the opening date (1 December 2008). Entries close on 31 March 2009. The entry fee is $35 for the submission of up to three works.

Over the last 22 years, ‘the churchie’ has built its reputation on the quality and diversity of contemporary art and the 2008 entries highlighted the intersection between digital and traditional media.

Last year more than 100 pre-selected artworks across many media signalled a shift in terms of thinking about what art can be, moving from a traditional understanding of art as painting and sculpture, to encompass the process, the concept and the idea.

The 2008 overall winner, Film Still (Portal) by Sam Smith explored parallel reality with a projected video image of a static plywood world that was about truth and reality. Last year ‘the churchie’ attracted 780 entries from almost 400 artists from across Australia.

The 2008 pre-selection judge, Simon Wright, Director, Griffith Artworks and Dell Gallery, showcased the breadth and depth of contemporary art in his choice of 103 artworks to go before the judges.

The 2008 joint judges, from the Queensland Art Gallery /Gallery of Modern Art, Francis Parker, Curator, Contemporary Australian Art and Jose de Silva, Associate Curator, Film, Media and New Technologies, reflected national trends in the ambitious contemporary art market when they selected the winners.

In addition to Sam Smith as the overall winner, the category winners were:

• painting – Elizabeth Kunoth Kngwarray, from Mosquito Bore Settlement, Utopia Region, NT, entitled Yam Seeds and Flowers (synthetic polymer on linen)
• works on paper – Todd McMillan, from Sydney, entitled I bought these for you (photography)
• sculptural/object based – Angela Rossitto, from Brisbane, entitled Love Sick (rocks, fabric, found objects)
• new technologies – Todd McMillan, from Sydney, entitled go on (DVD)

The $10,000 winner’s prize for the churchie national emerging art exhibition 2009 is donated by Brand & Slater Architects. 

Key dates for ‘the churchie’ 2009: