The Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre is thrilled to announce the return of the Wollumbin Youth Art Award (WYAA), in conjunction with the 2024 Wollumbin Art Award.
Now open for entries, the biennial award is open to young artists aged 5 to 18 years living in the Tweed, Byron, Ballina, Kyogle, Scenic Rim local government areas as well as Lismore and the City of Gold Coast. For the first time, artists from the Richmond Valley will also be eligible.
Artists can submit visual art works of any subject matter and medium. Prizes include art materials and a range of art making opportunities valued up to $1,000.
The award offers prizes across four age categories:
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5–8 years
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9–12 years
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13–15 years
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16–18 years.
Gallery Director Ingrid Hedgcock said the award was a way of celebrating the extraordinary talent and creativity of young artists in the region.
"This award is about showcasing the unique talents of young people but also inspiring and encouraging young artists to create something they can be really proud of," Ms Hedgcock said.
"We are excited to present this award for the second time and look forward to seeing what works are presented.
"The Gallery is honoured to have Children's Gallery Coordinator at HOTA, Home of the Arts, Jodi Ferrari as guest judge of the Youth award.
"Jodi has a breadth of experience in curating experiential art spaces for young people. We are thrilled to have her judge the WYAA, which offers a fantastic opportunity for budding young artists in the region."
Ms Ferrari said the award offered a fantastic opportunity to showcase emerging talent from our region.
"I love how young people see and experience the world differently and I'm looking forward to seeing the creativity of their entries this year. I am honoured to be invited by the Gallery to judge this year's award, although I'm sure it's going to be a challenging task," Ms Ferrari said.
A selection of finalists will be given the opportunity to display their works at the Gallery from Friday 6 September until Sunday 24 November, with award announcements on Saturday 7 September.
The Wollumbin Youth Art Award is generously sponsored by Friends of the Gallery.
Entries for the WYAA 2024 are now open and close at 5 pm on Monday 3 June 2024.
