Splash contemporary watercolour award
28 August 2021 –
6 February 2022
Joseph Anatolius, Matteo Bernasconi, Lee Bethel, Naomi Bishop, Eugene Carchesio, Chris Casali, Veronica Caven Aldous, Michelle Cawthorn, Louisa Chircop, Libby Derham, Chonggang Du, Louise Foletta, Alison Ford, Belinda Fox, William Goodwin, Domenica Hoare, Kris Kang, Martin King, Anne Kucera, Alex Linegar, Tania Mason, Megan McPherson, Valentina Palonen, Gregory Pryor, Annika Romeyn, Katika Schultz, Andrew Seward, Louise Tate.
Three prizes of $10,000 will be awarded for works in watercolour (Splash contemporary watercolour award) and $3,000 will be awarded to a tertiary art student for a ceramic work, courtesy of Mary and Lou Senini. There will also be a People’s Choice Award for both the Rick Amor Drawing Award and the Splash Watercolour Award, valued at $1,000 each. The award funds have been generously provided by the Fornari Bequest, artist Rick Amor, and Mary and Lou Senini.
The Splash contemporary watercolour award was established to showcase contemporary Australian watercolour practice. It is enabled by the Fornari Bequest, by the Will of the late Lena May Fornari, and is a legacy of her support for the arts in Victoria. Lena May was an ardent collector of watercolours and the first acquisitions through this Bequest were significant watercolour paintings. Continuing this tradition, Splash presented the work of contemporary Australian artists who use this medium in highly accomplished and innovative ways. The 2021 finalists were: Joseph Anatolius, Matteo Bernasconi, Lee Bethel, Naomi Bishop, Eugene Carchesio, Chris Casali, Veronica Caven Aldous, Michelle Cawthorn, Louisa Chircop, Libby Derham, Chonggang Du, Louise Foletta, Alison Ford, Belinda Fox, William Goodwin, Domenica Hoare, Kris Kang, Martin King, Anne Kucera, Alex Linegar, Tania Mason, Megan McPherson, Valentina Palonen, Gregory Pryor, Annika Romeyn, Katika Schultz, Andrew Seward, Louise Tate. Three acquisitive awards of $10,000 for original works in watercolour were judged by Kirsty Grant, Freelance Curator and Writer; Melissa Keys, Senior Curator, Heide Museum of Modern Art; and Sim Luttin, Curator and Gallery Manager, Arts Project Australia. McClelland is delighted to announce that the 2021 Awards were given to Andrew Seward, Gregory Prior, and Joseph Anatolius.