Ten awarded artists discuss their work in the Meroogal Women’s Arts Prize, a regional, non-acquisitive competition and exhibition across the fields of visual arts, crafts and design. © Chris Saville 2009

Open to a work using any media made by a woman 18 years or over, who lives on the South Coast, Southern Highlands or in Goulburn, this biennial exhibition encourages the practice of traditional women's arts and crafts in a contemporary context. The prize’s changing theme connects artists to Meroogal and the women who lived there. The 2009 theme was, ‘Books and the world of ideas’.

Anna Glynn was awarded First Prize in the Historic Houses Trust’s 2009 Meroogal Women’s Arts Prize at the Shoalhaven City Arts Centre on Saturday 29 August for her work Verse Versus ..., a video art work which brings characters from Edward Lear’s poem ‘The New Vestments’ to life against a backdrop of images of Meroogal.

Judge Joanna Nicholas, of the Historic Houses Trust said; 'First Prize winner Anna Glynns’s video art work Verse Versus ... cleverly interprets a poem reproduced in a book from the Meroogal collection, with multi media, beautiful drawings and paintings, photography, sound animation and video-film. Second Prize went to Arja Valimaki for her work Shining in the Shadow as we were very impressed how she weaved pages from Charlotte Bronte’s book Jane Eyre tightly between shiny wire threads, creating a beautiful and connected energetic work. We awarded Carolyn Sullivan Third Prize for her work Identification, an elegantly hand stitched and painted piece featuring beautiful flowers, leaves and landscape. Glenese Keavney was awarded the Bundanon Trust Regional Artist in Residence Scholarship for her skillfully handcrafted work A Lamp for the Library, representing the concept that the world of ideas communicated through books cannot be accessed without light.

The Meroogal Women’s Arts Prize will in future be a biennial event. By holding the Prize every two years, the HHT will be able to increase the number of venues the exhibition can travel to and allow greater contact with regional centres to help promote opportunities for Shoalhaven artists.

First prize ($2000): Anna Glynn, Jaspers Brush, Verse Versus ...

Second Prize ($1000): Arja Valimaki, Flinders, Shining in the Shadow

Third Prize ($500): Carolyn Sullivan, Bundanoon, Identification

Bundanon Trust Regional Artist in Residence Scholarship: Glenese Keavney, Fitzroy Falls, A Lamp for the Library

Highly Commended: Lizzie Buckmaster Dove, Coledale, World Atlas (Exploration), Rhonda Ayliffe, Cabargo, Fahrenheit 451, Kylie Douglas, Cudmirrah, A cutlery of books, Nina Risi, Warilla, Pages of a song, Kerry Suttonberg, Gerrigong, The Getting of Wisdom & Glenese Keavney, Fitzroy Falls, A Lamp for the Library

Packers prize: Rhonda Ayliffe, Fahrenheit 451

The People’s Choice Prize: Robyn Kinsela, Pages of memories and dreams. 

HHT Members prize: Janine Hilder, Travelling

 

Meroogal Women's Art prize 2009 gallery

Selected works from the touring exhibition.

Click on the images below for a larger version.