FOUR artists have taken out top honours at the inaugural ArchiBawBaw Portrait Prize Exhibition at Mount Baw Baw.
Works by Helen Timbury, Jessie McLennan, Elisbet Smedbakken and Teresa Schipano were chosen as winners last weekend from a field of 21 entries by Gippsland artists.
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The exhibition asked artists to produce portraits of the Mt Baw Baw region’s pioneers.
Ms Timbury produced a linocut of Greg Hollis, who has researched the area’s endangered and rare species of flora and fauna for over 30 years.
Ms McLennan’s portrait was of Baw Baw Ski Hire founder Franz Reiter and Ms Smedbakken’s entry was an oil painting of long-serving Mt Baw Baw resort operations manager Stewart Galloway.
Emma ‘Mumma’ Otter, mother of publican Max Otter, was chosen by Ms Schipano for her portrait.
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Speakers at the event included chair of Regional Arts Victoria Bruce Esplin and artists Peter Biram, who both spoke about the importance of art to regional communities.
Victorian Minister for Police and Emergency Services Kim Wells opened the exhibition, standing in for the Victorian Arts Minister Heidi Walsh.
The exhibition will be held again next year.
Pictured: people admire artworks at the ArchiBawBaw exhibition.
Pictured: a number of this year’s ArchiBawBaw entries.
Pictured: Franz and Jan Reiter stand next to Jessie McLennan’s winning portrait of Mr Reiter.
Pictured: Stewart Galloway stands next to Elisabet Smedbakken’s portrait of himself.
Why do we think of ‘pioneers’ as men? Women are an integral part of Australia’s history, but they appear invisible. However, wonderful female Baw Baw artists and congratulations.