Print Media Awards 2009
THE 24TH WEST AUSTRALIAN PRINTMEDIA AWARDS
MOORES BUILDING CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY
FRIDAY 1ST MAY – SUNDAY 10TH MAY 2009
Printmakers are alive and well, and living in WA!
Over 250 people attended the Printmakers Association of Western Australia (PAWA) opening of The 24th Western Australian Printmedia Awards on Friday 1st May, at the Moores Building Contemporary Gallery in Fremantle.
PAWA’s special guest speaker to open the Awards evening, was to be Janet Holmes à Court. Sadly, Janet suffered a fall and fractured her wrist. At very short notice, Sharon Tassicker, Director of the Holmes à Court Gallery, kindly stepped in to open both the Printmedia Awards and the Prints Plus exhibition. Reviewing all the artworks for two hours beforehand, her speech was excellent.
Announcement of the winners were made during the official opening of the awards.
This year the judges were: Jude van der Merwe, Executive Director, Artsource; Douglas Sheerer, Owner, Galerie Düsseldorf; Professor Clive Barstow, Head of School, Communications and Arts, Edith Cowan University.
Featuring works by West Australian printmakers, the Awards have embraced the traditional and contemporary methods of printmaking. Visitors to the exhibition will be able to recognize the depths, colour and exquisite technique, highlighting the strength and diversity of the printmaking art practice, currently taking place in Western Australia.
PAWA was formed 35 years ago. The prime aim of the Association is to support the arts, promoting the development of new skills and techniques, as well as the traditional forms of fine art printmaking, encouraging and promoting the participation of PAWA members in competitions and exhibitions, including the annual West Australian Print Media Awards.
PAWA are able to provide support to professional and emerging artists using this unique art form, through regular workshops and exhibitions. PAWA aims to enhance the facilities and equipment available, to be able to teach and encourage all forms of printmaking, including contemporary printing digital techniques.
It was great to see so many sponsors at the opening this year. Their participation in the Awards Ceremony meant we were able to personally acknowledge their support. Attending on behalf of Alex Ardizzone, we were thrilled to meet his mother Catherine, sister Sophia and five other brothers and sisters! Alex has been donating a press, as the major award since 1991.
Printmakers Association of WA would like to thank all our sponsors who have made these awards possible. Future Engineering; Team Digital; Monart Studio and Gallery; Absolute Cosmetics; Exomod Artframers and Gallery; Quattro Framing; Printer; Type Tamer; Jackson’s Drawing Supplies; Rosily Vineyards, and Corvus Business Systems, all of whom have given generously.
Lastly but definitely not leastly, PAWA thanks Leon Pericles for being our Patron. We appreciate him very much.
Susanne Hamlin-Sullivan
President/Coordinator, WA Printmedia Awards
Lala Oh
Coordinator, WA Printmedia Awards
