High profile and experienced gallery director Tracy Cooper-Lavery will judge the Sunshine Coast Art Prize 2020 when it opens to the public in October.
Community Portfolio Councillor Rick Baberowski said having Tracy, now the Director, Gallery and Visual Arts at HOTA, Gold Coast, as the judge for the Sunshine Coast Art Prize brought her impressive skill set and experience to this year's prize.
"Each year the Sunshine Coast Art Prize attracts entries from some of Australia's best contemporary and emerging artists," Cr Baberowski said.
"This year, Tracy Cooper-Lavery, who has worked in the regional art museum sector for more than 20 years, will have the challenging task of selecting a winner from what I'm anticipating will be an exceptional list of national finalists."
To celebrate the Prize during the gallery's 20th anniversary year, there is no fee to enter the art prize and artists can enter online via the gallery website. Entries close on July 14.
Sunshine Coast Art Prize 2020 finalists will be announced in August and will be showcased in an exhibition at the Caloundra Regional Gallery and online from Friday, October 16 to Sunday, December 6. Winners will be announced on December 3.
The winning work will be acquired for the Sunshine Coast Art Collection.
The Sunshine Coast Art Prize 2020 offers a prize pool of more than $40,000 in cash and prizes.
For more details, including terms and conditions of entry, visit the Caloundra Regional Gallery website.
About the judge
Tracy Cooper-Lavery is Director, Gallery & Visual Arts at HOTA Home of the Arts Gold Coast. She has worked in the regional art museum sector for more than 20 years including Director of Rockhampton Art Gallery where she was responsible for transforming the Gallery's profile on a local, state and national level. She was appointed President of the Public Galleries Queensland (PGQ) from 2014 to 2016 and continues to serve on the Board.
She has curated numerous exhibitions on Australian and international art and was instrumental in presenting high-profile international exhibitions at Bendigo Art Gallery including The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-1957 (Victoria and Albert Museum, London) and Cecil Beaton: Portraits (National Portrait Gallery, London). Her projects at Rockhampton Art Gallery included the national touring exhibition Cream: Four decades of Australian art, The Prince|Michael Zavros, and the development of Queensland's richest art prize The Gold Award.
Tracy holds a Masters in Creative Arts from James Cook University as well as a post-graduate degree in Museum Studies and a Bachelor of Visual Arts.
