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The Rockhampton Art Gallery Trust and Rockhampton Art Gallery are proud to introduce The Gold Award and The Bayton Award.

The Gold Award is Australia's newest and most exciting invitation painting award offering a cash prize of $50,000. It will undoubtedly become a premier biennial art event of national significance made possible through the generous bequest of $600,000 from the estate of Moya Gold, a philanthropist who understood the joys and opportunities of arts education.

FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

Eight artists have been announced for the Inaugural $50,000 Gold Award for contemporary painting. The artists, selected by invitation are:

Jason Benjamin (NSW)

Kate Bergin (Qld)

Juan Ford (Vic)

Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori (Qld)

Ben Quilty (NSW)

Victoria Reichelt (Qld)

Kate Shaw (Vic)

Michael Zavros (Qld)

These artists, multiple and recent prizewinners in some of Australia’s most significant prizes including the Archibald and Doug Moran Portrait Prizes; and the Wynne and Arthur Guy Painting Prizes produces a high caliber, potent prize representing in many ways the crème-de-la-crème of contemporary painting.

The Gold Award will be a national biennial event realized as a joint initiative of Rockhampton Art Gallery Trust, Rockhampton Art Gallery and Rockhampton Regional Council.

The winner will be announced Friday 1 June.

The Bayton Award is a biennial, non-acquisitive prize celebrating the diversity and excitement of visual arts in the Central Queensland region.

This award is open to artists residing in the following regions and shires: Rockhampton, Gladstone, Banana, Woorabinda, Central Highlands, Isaac, Barcaldine, Blackall-Tambo, Longreach, Winton, Barcoo, Diamantina and Boulia.

$11,500 in total prizes will be awarded including cash prizes, an artist in residency opportunity, and a People's Choice award.

The Rockhampton Art Gallery is calling for entries for The Bayton Award with final entries due by 3pm on Friday 2 March 2012

Artwork of the Month

Each month a personality from the Rockhampton Region community picks an artwork from the Rockhampton Art Gallery collection.

This month photo-journalist Sharyn O'Neill talks about Annette Bezor's Entanglement inversion (1990, Oil and synthetic polymer paint on canvas). Artwork is reproduced courtesy of the Artist.

Rockhampton Art Gallery is owned and operated by Rockhampton Regional Council.

Rockhampton Art Gallery releases a monthly newsletter called ragazette.

This newsletter includes information on the latest exhibitions and events at the Rockhampton Art Gallery. To sign up enter your details here.

Exhibitions

Collection in Focus: CQUniversity Australia Art Collection

30 March - 23 May

CQUniversity Australia collection exhibition supported by Rockhampton Art Gallery

A Rockhampton Art Gallery initiative the Collection In Focus series explores the unique and diverse art collections of the central Queensland region.  The CQUniversity Art Collection currently holds more than 500 artworks, including significant 1970’s works by Australian artists, historical works and contemporary pieces from international, national and local artists.  This exhibition brings together a selection of the finest works from the CQUniversity Art Collection and showcases; historical, indigenous Australian, Pacific Islander, European and Australian art works across a diverse range of media.

A Rockhampton Art Gallery exhibition.

A Sense of Occasion: Fifty Years Of Party Dresses

7 April - 13 May

A touring exhibition drawn from the Darnell Collection

A sense of occasion is an exhibition of ball gowns and cocktail dresses from the 1920s to the 1960s drawn from the Darnell Collection, NSW. Each decade is represented by a variety of day and evening party dresses and a selection of accessories from each era. The collection of gowns from France, United States, Italy, Australia and New Zealand will explore social history, famous designers, style influences and inspirations. Sections in the exhibition will include The Roaring 20s, Hollywood glamour, Dior’s ‘New Look’, Debutantes dress for Society and ‘Mad Men’ cocktail hour.

Doris Darnell, a Quaker from Pennsylvania, USA, began collecting costume in the 1940s with items spanning from the Regency period to the 1980s. Quaker doctrine opposes following fashion and collecting, but Darnell circumvented this rule by wearing many of the items given to her. Charlotte Smith inherited her godmother Doris's collection in 2004. It has continued to grow through further bequests to over 5500 pieces representing 23 different countries and is considered the largest private vintage clothing collection in Australia. Included are many internationally recognised 20th century designers such as Lucile, Vionnet, Dior, Chanel, Balenciaga, Pucci, Jean Muir, Zandra Rhodes, Westwood, Versace and Dolce & Gabana among many other names.

Mrs Prime Minister: Public image, private lives

7 April – 20 May

A Museum of Australian Democracy travelling exhibition

Old Parliament House’s travelling exhibition Mrs Prime Minister—Public Image, Private Lives introduces visitors to the 26 remarkable women who have been wives to past Prime Ministers from 1901 to 2007. It reveals the ‘woman behind the title’, examining the unique contribution, style and structure each brought to the position of Mrs Prime Minister, and explores the realities of being married to one of the nation’s most powerful men—including the difficulties of trying to balance public and private life, the glamour, the hardships, the passions, and of course, the politics.