Exceptional works from one of Victoria's renowned annual prizes for painting - the Bayside Acquisitive Art Prize (BAAP) - are on display at the Bayside Gallery.
This year's winner of the $15,000 Major Prize is Louise Tate for her allegorical oil painting, Self Portrait with Strawflower (2023), which was chosen from the works of 38 finalists and 420 entries.
The Melbourne-based artist said her work "draws on women's history of self-portraiture, the brevity of time and life, and where I fit into that picture."
Louise lives near the Yarra River and the re-emergence of strawflowers after flooding, inspired her to explore the ideas around nature and its lifecycle.
"Even though there is death and decay, there is also renewal, which inspires you to keep surviving and thriving," Louise said.
The $3,000 Local Art Prize was awarded to Lorna Quinn for her evocative landscape painting, Like an Oyster (2022).
"I am delighted to have had my work recognised at such an amazing local event celebrating art and culture in Australia," Lorna said.
"I'm grateful to Bayside Gallery for hosting the BAAP exhibition and to the judges, Jane Clark (Museum of New Art) and Dr. Chris McAuliffe (ANU art historian), for selecting my work."
Established in 2015, the annual art prize and finalist exhibition provides an important opportunity to promote art and artists as valuable contributors to the vibrancy of Bayside and the local community
Don't miss your chance to view the inspirational works in the Bayside Acquisitive Art Prize finalist exhibition at Bayside Gallery before it ends on 2 July.
Exhibition visitors can also vote for the $1,000 People's Choice Award.
