RACT Insurance (RACTI) is marking 10 years of supporting young Tasmanian creative talent with the launch of the 10th the annual Tasmanian Portraiture Prize (TPP), Tasmania’s premier portraiture competition.
Over the past decade, 569 Tasmanian artists have entered the competition, with the RACTI TPP launching the career of many young Tasmanian artists including the competitions’ inaugural winner, Hilton Owen.
Mr Owen said the RACTI TPP truly did kick-start his artistic career.
“I was only 18 when I won but it really was a huge for me, not just in terms of motivation to continue with my art, but winning, or even making the shortlist provides young Tasmanian artists with such a sense of validation,” said Mr Owen.
“The RACTI TPP has always had such esteemed judges, and having the chance to have your artwork displayed alongside other finalists provides young artists with the sense they are on the right track with their work.”
Since winning the RACTI TPP in 2008, Mr Owen has held yearly exhibitions across Tasmania and interstate.
“The RACT Insurance TPP has become a recognised competition, not just in Tasmania, but also around Australia and I’m still very proud to have ‘RACTI TPP Winner’ on his CV,” he said.
“Winning the competition has opened a lot of doors for me and I think it is becoming recognised as one of the most competitive competitions in portraiture.
“Entering was an extremely worthwhile experience and I would encourage anyone thinking of entering to do so.”
RACTI TPP Curator Kylie Eastley said applicants were continually surprising the judges by experimenting with a vast array of artistic mediums.
“There is so much more to portraiture than most people would think and entrants continue to explore the limits of portraiture and mediums in which a portrait can be represented,” said Ms Eastley.
“Over the years we’ve had entries in the form of multimedia/video, photographs, oils, acrylics, graphite, watercolours, print and animation.
“We can’t wait to see what 2017 has in store.”
RACT insurance CEO Trent Sayers said his organisation was thrilled to continually support such a dominant growth industry within Tasmania.
“By continuing our support of the Tasmanian Portraiture Prize and the local arts scene, RACT Insurance hopes to foster the development and passion of young Tasmanian artists,” said Mr Sayers.
“We feel it is important that local businesses do everything within their power to create opportunities for our youth to thrive within their chosen industry.”
This year’s judging panel will be made up of artist, art teacher and gallery owner, Betty Nolan, Director of the National Portrait Gallery, Angus Trumble and 2016 RACTI TPP winner, Caleb Clifford.
The TPP invites Tasmanian artists, aged 30 and under to produce a portrait of a living Tasmanian who is important to them.
The winner of the 2017 RACT Insurance Tasmanian Portraiture Prize will receive $5,000 and a trip for two to the Archibald Prize exhibition in Sydney.
Entries are now open for the 2017 RACT Insurance Tasmanian Portraiture Prize, closing on Friday 30 June, with the shortlisted artists to be announced early July.
The 2017 winners will be announced at the RACT Insurance TPP opening night at Hobart’s Long Gallery on Friday, 1st September.
Following the announcement, the artworks of all the shortlisted entries will be exhibited at the Long Gallery (Saturday, 2 September – Saturday, 16 September) before the exhibition moves to Launceston’s Sawtooth ARI Gallery (Saturday, 6 October – Sunday, 28 October) and then onto the Devonport Regional Gallery (Saturday, 4 November – Sunday, 3 December).
For more information visit www.taspp.com.au and like the RACT Insurance TPP page on Facebook.
RACT insurance CEO Trent Sayers
