14 December 2014
Organisers of the Fleurieu Art Prize will partner with the University of South Australia’s Samstag Museum to present the world’s highest value landscape painting prize in 2016 - marketing the award to city audiences for the first time.
Established in 1998, the $60,000 Fleurieu Art Prize (FAP), located in the Fleurieu region, has established an international reputation with over 1200 entries in last year’s event from around the world.
High profile judges included Nigel Hurst from The Saatchi Gallery in London
Last year’s FAP winner, Fiona Lowry, went on to win the NSW Art Gallery Archibald Prize in 2014.
Chair of the FAP Board, Paul Hamra says the Prize has been incredibly successful in gathering local and national interest and acclaim. However, for the competition to grow in both recognition and participation, it needs to develop a presence beyond its regional location.
“Our research with stakeholders, artists, state and local government has shown that the profile of the Prize will be improved by extending audience participation to the city.”
“We are delighted to be working with a gallery of the calibre of the Samstag Museum and we’re looking forward to launching the Prize to city audiences in 2016.”
Hamra says the festival surrounding the prize, focussing on the food and wine of the region, will continue to be a highlight on the Fleurieu Peninsula during the FAP celebrations.
Director of the Samstag Museum of Art Erica Green says she is delighted to be working with the FAP Board to increase the profile of the Prize.
“Shifting the FAP exhibition to the Samstag Museum presents an opportunity to elevate the event and the standing of the Prize itself, and to better celebrate museum-quality works of contemporary art,” Green says.
“Landscape as a subject for art continues to capture the imagination not only of the wider community, but also increasingly of leading artists wanting to express a connection with place, and who recognise that landscape holds a compelling power for our contemporary culture.
“It is the aspiration of the partnership to build FAP’s identity and artistic reputation so that it becomes renowned as a pre-eminent event in the Australian arts calendar showcasing the work of both new and established artists.”
Media contact: Michèle Nardelli office: +61 8 8302 0966 mobile: 0418 823 673 email: michele.nardelli@unisa.edu.au
