Mid West Art Prize 2017

Opened on Friday the 16th of June 2017, the fifth Mid West Art Prize showcased the diversity, quality and innovation of artists in Western Australia. This year’s selection
panel consisting of the Coordinator of The Geraldton Regional Art Gallery, Eve York; The Director of the Bunbury Regional Art Galleries, Julian Bowron; and the Acting Director for Exhibitions and Collections at the Art Gallery of Western Australia, James Davies, made the final selection from over 200 entries. 64 artworks were curated into the 2017 exhibition.

Our Judges

Lee Kinsella

Project Coordinator Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery, The University of Western Australia
Lee has curated and managed exhibitions at Australian and national public institutions, including the Art Gallery of Western Australia, The Australian War Memorial and The National Film and Sound Archive (formerly ScreenSound Australia). She has written catalogue essays, articles and contributed to several books on Australia art, co-editing Into the Light: The Cruthers Collections of Women’s Art in 2012 and HERE&NOW13 in 2013.

Dr Ric Spencer

Curator, Fremantle Arts Centre
Ric has been involved in numerous art activities as a curator, writer and artist, has exhibited in Australia, Asia and the UK and had his work published in Australian, UK and American arts journals. Ric wrote art criticism for The West Australian newspaper from 2004 until 2011 and during the later years also lectured at Curtin University where he holds a Doctor of Creative Arts and is currently Adjunct Professor.

David Doyle

Executive Director, DADAA Ltd
David has been the instigator behind transformational change and sustained reinvention for DADAA over the past 22 years. He has led the organisation’s growth and embedded disability-led practise, through partnerships with national and international arts practitioners, CACD organisations and government departments. David has forged ground-breaking partnerships with the philanthropic, corporate and private sector, setting a national standard for diverse, strong private and public sector giving for art led social change.

Our Sponsors

Our Winners

$20,000 City of Greater Geraldton Overall Award for Excellence

Sarah Mills - The Fantasy and The Flesh, 2017, Digital photograph

Image: The City of Greater Geraldton Overall Award for Excellence winning work The Fantasy and the Flesh, by Sarah Mills, 2017. Digital photograph. City of Greater Geraldton Art Collection.

Artist: Sarah Mills
Artwork: The Fantasy and the Flesh, 2017. Digital Photograph
Judges Comments: “This empowering image resonates for a long time after viewing. It is a beautifully crafted digital photograph that provides a powerful social statement”.

$5000 Rio Tinto Aboriginal Art Award and the $1500 Bendigo Bank Mid West Artist Award

Image: Installation view of Roy Merritt's Daisy Work. Photographer: Bo Wong.

Artist: Roy Merritt
Artwork: Daisy Work, 2017. Wool and cotton
Judges Comments: “These colourful and celebratory works by a local artist speaks strongly of the landscape of the Midwest. Roy has reinvigorated long held skills to express country, and is pushing the boundaries of indigenous arts practice”.

$3500 Red FM Youth Award

Matthew McAlpine – The colonial frame (deflating the James Stirling portrait frame), 2017, Acrylic paint and earth pigment
Image: Installation view of Matthew McAlpine's The colonial frame (deflating the James Stirling portrait frame). Courtesy of the artist.

Artist: Matthew McAlpine
Artwork: The colonial frame (deflating the James Stirling portrait frame), 2017, Acrylic paint and earth pigment
Judges Comments: “A conceptually clever and intriguing take on colonialism. Matt has developed a unique constructive technique utilising paint”