Residents of the North West Coast will have the chance to help a local aspiring young artist
to take home the People’s Choice Award, when the RACT Insurance Tasmanian Portraiture
Prize (TPP) comes to the Devonport Regional Gallery later this month.

RACT Insurance CEO Trent Sayers said he was proud to once again be associated with the
Tasmanian Portraiture Prize and was looking forward to awarding the last prize in this year’s
competition – the People’s Choice Award.

“This award is always exciting because it expresses the views of the wider Tasmanian
community about which piece of art they found the most interesting as part of the
exhibition and why,” Mr Sayers said.

“I strongly urge all Tasmanians to come along to the RACT Insurance Tasmanian Portraiture
Prize exhibition when it comes to their areas and cast their vote for the People’s Choice
Award, which can be done online at http://www.taspp.com.au.

“Voting for the award will close at the end of the exhibition season, with the winner
announced on 26 November, receiving $500 in prize money to further their artistic career.”

The exhibition will feature the works of the 33 finalists, including this year’s winner, Untitled
(solitude), by Alex Davern and runner up, Nik Lee’s digital piece, The land shadowed by
everyone’s moving mountain, Chapter nine.

Chair of the judging panel and editor of the national journal Art Monthly Australia, Maurice
O’Riordan, said the calibre of entries in this year’s TPP was very strong, showcasing
everything Tasmanians have to offer the art world.

The award, now in its sixth year, had 2011 RACT Insurance Tasmanian Portraiture Prize
winner Robert O’Connor and renowned visual artist Greg Leong, joining Mr O’Riordan on
the judging panel.

More than 70 entries were received for this year’s competition, which was established to
create a platform for emerging Tasmanian artists to exhibit their talents, while also creating
a piece reflecting life in 21st century Tasmania.

As the winner of the 2013 RACT Insurance Tasmanian Portraiture Prize, Alex Davern
received $5,000 in prize money and a trip for two to the Archibald Prize exhibition in
Sydney, while Nik Lee received $2,000 to assist with studio rent.

RACT Insurance encourages all Tasmanians to come along and support the State’s emerging
artists at the TPP exhibition in the Devonport Regional Gallery from 28 September – 27
October and the Sawtooth Gallery in Launceston from 2 – 25 November.
RACT Insurance CEO Trent Sayers