Free workshops for Prize artists

A big supporter of the Deni Ute Muster, the last public work he created was the ‘Uteopia’ mural at the Muster site.

Yarkuwa Indigenous Knowledge Centre Art Shed co-ordinator, Jo Nathan, is offering to mentor those who plan to create artworks to submit for the art prize.

The sessions are for passionate, art-loving young creatives to express their creative voices through art.

“When Anthony learned that we were creating a new Art Shed space at Yarkuwa, he was thrilled,” Mrs Nathan said.

“He wanted to see a place where the young people he had met in Deniliquin could gather, create, and form an artistic community, so he was 100 per cent behind what we wanted to achieve.

“This support became something physical when Anthony offered us boxes of materials from his own studio, including tiny treasures that he had personally collected and used in his original art works.

“The workshops we are offering in the lead up to the prize will give our young local artists the opportunity to use some of these materials, and they will be based on encouraging the artists to follow their own ideas and paths, which was very much Anthony's style.

“Having held our first session last week, I am already excited about the ideas that are formulating and cannot wait to see where they end up.”

Launched last month, the Anthony Breslin Art Prize invites submissions from two youth categories - 8 to 12 years and 13 to 18 years.

Artworks will be shown at the Peppin Heritage Centre Gallery from September 20 to October 21, with the winners (including a People’s Choice Award winner) receiving generous cash prizes at the awards event, held at the gallery on Saturday, October 11.

The sessions will be held at Yarkuwa Art Shed, 392-394 Hay Rd, Deniliquin on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 3.30pm to 4.45pm.

Bookings are required, please contact Jo Nathan on 0429 329 347.

For more information about the Anthony Breslin Art Prize and for submissions, go to: https://www.deniutemuster.com.au/anthony-breslin-art-prize.