Not one but two!

Friday 23rd August saw the opening of not one but two of Centrehouse's Art Prizes. The Eve Vonwiller Youth Art Award for primary and secondary students, and the Lloyd Rees Memorial Youth Art Award for emerging artists were opened one after the other in adjacent gallery spaces within Gallery Lane Cove. Whilst the double opening promised for a busy evening, the overwhelming response to calls for entries into the Lloyd Rees Award insured this would be the case, with entries exceeding those of previous years. As a biennial event, this exhibition of the Lloyd Rees Memorial Youth Art Award is the first time the award has been held within Centrehouse's relatively new premises of Gallery Lane Cove, previously being presented within the Lane Cove Council Building.

Both openings were a huge success. The diversity of work and high standard of entries overwhelmed visitors to the gallery and made difficult work for the judges.

Artists Ann Cape, Kevin Connor and Guy Warren judged the Lloyd Rees Memorial Youth Art Award, naming South Australian artist Loique Allain as the overall award winner for her large scale lino print work Bull Creek Road. Loique traveled all the way from Adelaide to attend the event and accept her award. Highly Commended went to Sydney based artist Edgar Schilter for his work San Miguel De Tacuman 21, Commended to Fiona Ryan for Bridle Track (Hill End), and special mentions went to Georgia Fanning, Oliver Stokes Hughes and Alice Pulvers.

Loique Allain with her winning work Bull Creek Road

Highly Commended Prize winner Edgar Schilter with his work San Miguel De Tacuman 21

Whilst the Lloyd Rees Award drew entrants from across Australia, the Eve Vonwiller remains a local art prize, concentrating on students from schools in the North Shore area. Mayor Scott Bennison opened the festivities and then handed over to the Award's judge, artist Yve Close to present the certificates and prizes.

Angela Zhou was the winner of the High School section and Rosa Wei received a highly commended award, both students from Burwood Girls High School. In the Upper Primary section (Year 3-6) Isabelle Fisher of Currambena School won first prize, Highly Commended went to Inika Sunder of Eastwood Public School and Jessica Procopio of Greenwich Primary School received a Commended Award. In the Lower Primary section (Year K-2) Oscar Roche of Holy Family Catholic Primary won first prize, Olivia Cheng of Ryde Public School received a Highly Commended Award and the Commended Award went to Owen Khamlu of Lane Cove Public School.