Western Australian Indigenous Art Awards facts for kids
The Western Australian Indigenous Art Awards was a special art competition that celebrated the amazing work of Indigenous Australian artists. It was started by the Art Gallery of Western Australia and supported by the Government of Western Australia. These awards ran from 2008 to 2015.
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About the Indigenous Art Awards
The main goal of these awards was to help and encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. It was a "non-acquisitive" award, which means the gallery didn't buy the winning artworks. Instead, the artists kept their art and also received a prize!
What Prizes Were Given?
The awards offered three different prizes to artists:
- The main prize was the Western Australian Indigenous Art Award. The winner received A$50,000!
- There was also a special prize for the best artist from Western Australia. This was called the Western Australian Artist Award, and it came with A$10,000.
- Finally, people visiting the exhibition could vote for their favorite artwork. This was the People's Choice Award, and the winner received A$5,000.
Who Could Enter the Awards?
Any adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artist living in Australia could enter. Artists could use any theme or material for their art. This included many different types of art, such as:
- Painting on bark
- Painting on canvas and paper
- Prints
- Sculptures
- Art made from fibres
- Ceramics
- Glass art
- Photography
- Digital art
Past Winners of the Awards
Many talented artists won these awards over the years. Here are some of them:
Winners from 2008
In 2008, the very first main prize went to Patrick Tjungurrayi. The Western Australian Artist prize was won by June Walkutjukurr. The People's Choice Award that year went to Shane Pickett.
Winners from 2009
The main prize in 2009 was won by Ricardo Idagi, who is a Torres Strait Islander artist. The Western Australian prize winner for that year was Wakartu Cory Surprise.
Winners from 2015
In 2015, the main prize was awarded to Quandamooka artist Megan Cope. She won for her video installation called The Blaktism. Another artist, Vincent Namatjira, was one of the finalists in that year's awards.
