2012 Catalogue - the churchie national emerging art prize

Introduction
‘the churchie’ national emerging art prize and GUAG: A Collaborative Portrait
‘the churchie’ national emerging art prize
and exhibition is a catalyst for dynamic new
artists in Australia, with one of the highest cash
prizes of any emerging art prize in the country.
It is the most significant, highly anticipated and
high profile annual event for the arts community
held at Queensland College of Art, Griffith
University, and partners work to connect it
with various communities of interest. In 2012
a new attendance record for the exhibition
was set, with 4310 visitors spending time in
Griffith University Art Gallery during the show.
Business and community groups, educational
and student groups, and arts community
professionals, such as collectors, curators,
academics and international visitors, were all
solid demographics among our audience.
We value our partnership with Anglican Church
Grammar School (churchie), and through
Churchie, our association with sponsors
and supporters. Our partnership aims to
present meaningful exposure for new artists
at a free public gallery interface, alongside
public program outcomes and professional
development opportunities for finalists – this
year selected from a record number of entries.
Our shared philosophy for this exhibition is:
education, communication and promotion. It’s
educative for those in the show as many will be
asked to discuss and defend their practice in
the public domain, or as part of QCA student
group visits — and these informal critique
sessions are invaluable forums for feedback.
It’s communicative not only because we
work hard, as do our publicists, to put these
works into a conversation with markets and
profiling opportunities, but because it’s the
artist’s voice that is most coveted during such
times, and they have to hone new skills and
gain new confidence. And it promotes great
new work — some out of traditions, some out
of experimental new directions – at a major
national interface where community meets
contemporary art.
The prize offers professional development
opportunities for emerging artists by
showcasing their practice to peers, collectors,
critics, museum curators, the media and the
community at large. Some will give workshops,
travel to schools or lead tours through the
show. Some will be picked up by art dealers,
some will be invited into major new public
gallery and museum shows, some will get
articles and media, and some will sell their
work. In 2012 the overall winner received
$15,000, thanks to long-time supporters Brand
+ Slater Architects, and three Special Judge’s
Commendations were awarded, supported by
The Churchie Emerging Art Committee.
The partnership between Churchie and Griffith
Artworks reinforces an inherent, longstanding
synergy between the educational institutions
that goes back 25 years. The catalysts were
Churchie’s Art Master at the time, Mr Greg
Roberts and QCA’s Dr Craig Douglas. To
facilitate learning to tertiary level and establish
a strong link between the School and QCA,
the first project, Churchie Emerging Art,
showcased high school student works from
the School at QCA’s Morningside campus
in the mid-1980s. Following that initial
collaboration, an energetic parents’ committee
was established at Churchie which comprised
a number of collectors and regular gallery
visitors.
They took on the challenge of starting an
emerging art exhibition, featuring local artists
in 1987. Since then ‘the churchie’ has gained
national momentum and, thanks to enduring
support from within the School and among
donors and sponsors, the prize has, over
the years, more than trebled its prize money.
In 2010 ‘the churchie’ moved for the first
time outside the School, to the purposebuilt
contemporary public art gallery on the
grounds of Queensland College of Art, Griffith
University, under a partnership between the
School and Griffith Artworks. The School and
QCA have much in common, apart from their
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the churchie national emerging art exhibition