Australia's Mission to Seafarers Victoria (MtSV) introduced the Maritime Art Awards in 2002, and this year marks the ten year anniversary of the exhibition, promoting excellence in maritime and seafaring subjects in art.
Mr Ken Fehily, chairman of the Melbourne Art Foundation and acting chairman of Places Victoria, will officially open the 2012 ANL Maritime Art Prize and Exhibition at the Awards Ceremony at Docklands on Thursday, October 4.
With the quality of entries this year described as "outstanding" and a "busy" 2012 selection panel which included Julian Twigg, winner of the 2007 ANL Maritime Art Award, over 80 works from 68 artists will contend for this year's three major award categories.
According to MtSV's Andrea Fleming, "artists from around Australia have responded with varying interpretations to the perpetual theme 'the relationship between humanity and the sea."
She said they have responded in both contemporary and traditional methods to the theme to present a collector's exhibition of maritime art.
"Many people have enjoyed and contributed to the exhibition. Maritime art is now perhaps a niche genre compared to the seventeenth to nineteenth century and is well worthy of celebration as is seen in this year's entries," she added.
Exhibition curator Beth Humphries said "the exhibited works give an injection of life into maritime art and remind us of the enormity of the oceans that surround us. They also reveal a diversity of opinion and understanding of humanity's relationship to the sea, through different artistic styles and content. There are works providing a nostalgic sense of tranquility and those that remind us of the inherent violence and unpredictability of the sea – an element of life that cannot be mastered."
The Mission to Seafarers Victoria will announce the winners on October 5 on its website. Each will receive a cash prize, including the ANL Maritime Art Award worth $15,000 cash, the ASP Group Best in Traditional Maritime Art Award worth $5,000 cash, and the Bendigo Wealth Emerging Maritime Artist Award worth $5,000.
The exhibition is to be hosted at the historic seafarers centre at the unique DOME Gallery at 717 Flinders Street, Docklands, Melbourne from October 5 – 31, Wednesday – Sunday, 12noon – 7pm.
Entry is by gold coin donation and all guests are invited to vote for their favourite artwork in the PB Towage People's Choice Award.
For further details visit www.missiontoseafarers.com.au
