2016 marks the ninth year of Tasmania’s premier portraiture competition, the RACT Insurance Tasmanian Portraiture Prize (TPP).

The TPP invites Tasmanian artists, aged 30 and under to produce a portrait of a living Tasmanian who is important to them.

Last year’s winner, Alasdair Doyle, who stunned judges with his multimedia video installation containing a bold political statement, said he strongly urged artists to enter the competition and to think outside the box with their work.

“I would encourage young artists thinking of entering RACT Insurance Tasmanian Portraiture Prize in 2016 to be brave and bold, and explore the limits of portraiture and mediums in which portraiture can be represented,” said Mr Doyle.

Mr Doyle said winning the RACT Insurance Tasmanian Portraiture Prize was a huge confidence booster both personally and for his practice.

“Having my name associated with such a reputable program and arts body has been immensely beneficial towards the progression of my career and towards accessing new networks,” he said.

“It was gratifying and encouraging being given the acclaim of a highly respected judging panel, and the public, and it’s something that I believe is important to sustaining a spirited art practice.”

This year’s judging panel will be made up of aforementioned 2015 TPP winner Alasdair Doyle, award nominated Melbourne based artist Carla Fletcher, and Tasmanian College of the Arts, UTAS lecturer Yvette Watt.

Mr Doyle expressed that although it will be difficult, he is very excited to be a part of this year’s judging panel.

“Being one of this year’s judges allows me to engage with a new perspective of the Tasmanian Portraiture Prize, and in doing so gain valuable professional experience.

“It is hugely humbling to be placed in a position wherein I am given the responsibility to judge my peers and I look forward to this no doubt difficult task.”

RACT insurance CEO Trent Sayers said his organisation is 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.

“Applicants are continually surprising our judges by experimenting with a vast array of artistic mediums from multimedia/video, photographs, oils, acrylics, graphite, watercolours, print and animation, we can’t wait to see what 2016 has in store.”

The winner of the 2016 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 2016 RACT Insurance Tasmanian Portraiture Prize, closing on Thursday 30 June, with the shortlisted artists to be announced early to mid-July.

The 2016 winners will be announced at the RACT Insurance TPP opening night at Hobart’s Long Gallery on Friday, 16th September.

Following the announcement, the artworks of all the shortlisted entries will be exhibited at the Long Gallery before the exhibition moves to Launceston’s Sawtooth ARI Gallery ( Saturday, 8 October – Sunday, 23 October) and then onto the Burnie Regional Art Gallery (Saturday 29 October – Friday 9 December).

For more information visit www.taspp.com.au like the RACT Insurance TPP page on Facebook.
Ned Worledge, Font PR