Finalists were selected by a panel which includes Coffs Harbour Gallery staff, Brett Adlington, Director Lismore Regional Gallery, and former MCA board member and art collector Lisa Paulsen.
Artworks from the 63 finalists selected for the inaugural Still: National Still Life Award, from a total of 605 entries from all states and ACT, are now available to view on the Gallery's Pinterest page. They include painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, ceramics, glass, sculpture, video, printmaking and textiles.
The winning work was selected by Lisa Slade, Assistant Director Artistic Programs, Art Gallery of South Australia.
Winning works and acquisitions from Still become part of the Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery collection.
The Still: National Still Life Award 2017 Finalists are:
Tony Albert, Louise Allerton, Kelly Austin, Tanya Baily, Elie Begg, Annette Blair, Rene Bolten, Mechelle Bounpraseuth, Terri Butterworth, Fran Callen, Tom Carment, Angela Casey, Tiffany Cole, Karl de Waal, Trisha Dean, Mary Donnelly, Scott Duncan, Sarah Edmondson, Nicolette Eisdell, Merran Esson, Ben Fayle, Guy Gilmour, Sarah Goffman, Ronnie Grammatica, Linda Greedy, Colleen Greig-Canty, Vanessa Holle, Alana Hunt, Susan Jacobsen, Laura Jones, Helle Jorgensen, Paul Kalemba, Laura E. Kennedy, Myriam Kin-Yee, Zai Kuang, Michael Langley, Sam Leach, Kellie Leczinska, Alison Mackay, Josh Mackenzie, Kiata Mason, Julian Meagher, Robert Moore, Stephen Nothling, Susan O'Doherty, Sarah O'Sullivan, Sassy Park, Victoria Reichelt, Elvis Richardson, Damien Shen, Brendan Smith, Tim Snowdon, Richard Spoehr, Vipoo Srivilasa, Nathan Taylor, Samantha Thompson, Anselm van Rood, Prue Venables, Lilli Waters, Kati Watson, Greg Weight, Mirra Whale, Cleo Wilkinson
Still: National Still Life Award 2017 Winner
The first ever winner of the Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery’s STILL: National Still Life Award is Sydney-based artist Sarah Goffman.
Her work ‘Asian Table’ is a reproduction of ancient Chinese ceramics, but created from intricately-painted, recycled plastic.
“I am overwhelmed and so grateful to win this award,” said Ms Goffman. “Art prizes present a conundrum. I have mixed feelings, if only every artist in this exhibition could be awarded $20,000. It’s brave to make art, we make ourselves vulnerable and we’re not always rewarded for it.”
The judge of the biennial prize - Lisa Slade, Assistant Director, Artistic Programmes, Art Gallery of South Australia - described STILL as ‘a game changer’.
“STILL has placed the still life genre at the heart of contemporary art practice. There is a real sense that something new is happening here,” she said.
Still Winner Sarah Goffman with her work ‘Asian Table’
The 2017 People’s Choice Award of $5000 was shared by Coffs Harbour artist Ben Fayle for his work ‘Rose Coloured Glasses No.2’ and Sydney photographer Greg Weight’s ‘Bohemian Table’.
Still 2017 Judge, Lisa Slade, awarded five commendations to Tiffany Cole, Sarah Edmondson, Guy Gilmour, Sam Leach and Prue Venables.
Still: National Still Life Award Special Events and Public Programs
There was so much to see and do during the 2017 exhibition period. Guided tours of the Still: National Still Life Award 2017 exhibition with gallery staff allowed guests to join the conversation with exhibition judge, Lisa Slade, and some of the exhibiting artists.
The opening weekend featured live demonstrations from some of the Still finalists along with artist talks, tours and entertainment.
In December there was a series of entertaining illustrated talks by John Bennett on the multifaceted nature of the still life genre, from Elizabeth Cummings to Coorte, Morandi to Magritte, Andy Warhol to Zurbarán and the current show.
Still Salon opened at the Sawtell Art Gallery on 9 December, celebrating many of the Still: National Still Life Award 2017 entries submitted by artists across the Coffs Coast.
Still 2017 major sponsor was Mercedes Benz Coffs Coast, with supporting sponsors Moving Art, saso.creative and Slater + Gordon Lawyers.