Vol. 1 January to June 2012 - Casula Powerhouse

Artist profile
Music Program
18 19
Sally Atkins
Liverpool Art Society Scholarship Winner
2011 marked the 14th Annual Liverpool Art Society Exhibition
boasting a record number of artworks submitted.
Proud local resident, artist and art teacher Sally Atkins won the
Liverpool City Council Overall Prize with her portrait painting, Do
You Remember. Sally also won the Sculpture Prize with her Boat
Memorial for Lost Boys.
How long have you been exhibiting in the Liverpool Art Society
Exhibition at Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre?
I have been exhibiting in the LAS Annual Art Society exhibition
since 2007, when the Casula Powerhouse was operating from the
Liverpool Regional Museum.
Why did you enter the Liverpool Art Society Art Exhibition and
why do you continue to enter every year?
I enter every year to encourage the students I teach. It is the only
art award that I make compulsory for me to enter each year.
Every artwork I make for the LAS exhibition are new works and I
always aim to create three.
How long have you been an artist?
I have always been an artist. My mother is an art teacher. It was
her way of keeping me occupied. I used to draw and scribble and
my mum would collect my drawings and discuss the content of
my work. I still have those works which my mum labelled and
dated. After a number of occupations, I decided I could no longer
deny my urge to work with people and at the same time, create
art. In my twenties, I decided to go to undergo some formal fine
art education and I completed a certificate in drawing studies at
Liverpool TAFE. I came first in the course and was awarded the
South Western Institute of TAFE regional award for Arts and
Media. I applied to a number of universities to continue my studies
with varying application processes such as drawing tests to
portfolio presentations.
Why did you choose to paint a portrait and why did you choose
to paint it the way you did?
A student once challenged me, asking if I could paint people.
At the time, I initially felt a little insulted, then I thought, how
would you paint people? I thought I wanted to create a work that
was different to my previous LAS submissions. It was a way of
challenging myself.
What do you think of the collaboration between Liverpool Art
Society and the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre? Do you think
such initiatives can benefit the local community and practicing
artists?
The foundation of the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre is not
bricks and mortar, but a community. It was originally a community
that decided what the building and its surrounding parklands
should be used for. It is important that an arts centre such as
Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre is inclusive of the community
in its programming. That is why Casula Powerhouse is so well
respected.
How has, or will your art practice progress after winning the
Liverpool Council Overall Prize?
Winning the Overall Prize has been most encouraging. I am now
collaborating with other artists from South Western Sydney on
developing a number of different group exhibitions with different
focuses.
Image credit: Sally Atkins, photo by Simon Bennett - Liverpool City
Champion
In 2011, the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre brought you Mindfield; a song competition with an edge.
Singers came from all over Western Sydney to showcase their talent in front of a panel of judges
including former Australian Idol contestant and singer/songwriter Paulini Curuenavuli.
With the support and backing of the NRL, whose players will also form part of this journey, these young
singers will be given opportunities to perform in front of some of Australia’s biggest audiences.
The Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre is extremely proud to give these talented young singers the
opportunity to be part of something unique and encourage them to achieve their music industry goals.
To keep up to date on the progress of the final five visit www.casulapowerhouse.com
Casula Powerhouse would like to thank the following supporters of the Mindfield program.
Paulini Curuenavuli
DJ Peter Gunz
6Pound
Erena Clarke
Street University
Eric Grothe Jr (Parramatta Eels)
Daniel Vidot ( Canberra Raiders)
Dene Halatau (Canterbury Bulldogs)
Joe Galuvao (Manly Sea Eagles)
Junior Moors (West Tigers)
Junior Tia-Kilifi (Canterbury Bulldogs)
Kevin Gordon (Gold Coast Titans)
Sam Perrett ( Sydney Roosters)