Guyra artist and first time exhibitor at the Gwydir Art Show, Laurie Knight, has taken out the coveted Gwydir Art Prize.
The 17th Annual Gwydir Art Show was opened by the Mayor, John Coulton on the evening of last Thursday week.
Robin Hansen with winner of the Gwydir Art Prize, Laurie Knight from Guyra, and his painting ‘Macleay River’ and Mayor John Coulton.
Speaking at the exhibition’s opening, Mr. Knight said he only recently heard about the exhibition after he had a painting published in the September edition of the Australian Arts magazine.
Art Show organiser, Robin Hansen saw the painting, and wrote to Laurie asking him to exhibit. He explained how his winning painting came about.
“I was accompanying a group of bike riders on the Tour de Rocks ride that happens from Armidale to South West Rocks, I was recuperating from an operation so travelled as support crew. On the first night of the first day, we stopped at Georges Junction on the old road between Armidale and Kempsey, a most beautiful and awe inspiring place.
“The landscape in the area inspires traditional landscape artists like myself, so I am thankful for the privilege of being there, and being able to reproduce it.”
Mayor, John Coulton, in opening the exhibition, noted that small communities put on great cultural evenings, and spoke of the amalgamation threat to the Council.
He said he believes the community wants the Council to survive as it is, and he and the Council will fight for what the community wants.
“Attendance at these kind of events would be very limited if we were amalgamated with another council.
“I congratulate Laurie Knight on winning the Accuisitive Painting prize. You join the very famous row, as you walk into the council building here, you walk past paintings by past winners,” he said.
Cr. Catherine Egan, who chairs the community comfort committee, praised organisers, Kevin and Robin Hansen and their team of helpers for the hard work they do to stage the exhibition.
“They really need congratulating; the amount of work done by a wonderful team effort is a great job.
Both Kevin and Robin Hansen said the tremendous work done by volunteers, Ruth Reece, Tony and Jan Miller, Volau O’Rourke, Alec Lucke, Sheila and Ray Thompson, Chris Snook, Peter Houlahan and Chris Kneller all contributed to the success of the art show.
