Visitors to the Cooktown Discovery Festival will be able to get a sneak peek of the town’s 45th Annual Art Award when a soft launch is held at Elizabeth Guzsely Gallery on 13 June. Photo: Supplied.
Visitors to the Cooktown Discovery Festival will be able to witness the creativity of the region’s best artists when a soft launch of the 45th Annual Art Award is held on 13 June.
The award is the Cooktown School of Art Society’s (CSAS) premier exhibition each year, with 2024 marking the 45th anniversary of artistic tradition in the town.
The event will open at Elizabeth Guzsely Gallery at 5pm on Thursday night, meaning the local art scene and festival visitors will be able to soak up the creativity and see the entries without missing any other events.
CSAS president and secretary Jane Dennis said the soft launch was being held as a companion event to the festival, with the official 45th Annual Art Award celebration and announcement of winners scheduled for 21 June.
“The night is a casual meet and greet with artists, locals and visitors sharing stories, champagne and nibbles,” she said.
The award comprises four adult categories – painting, works on paper, photography, and sculptural – and two youth categories for those aged 8-12 and 13-18.
Ms Dennis said she was excited to see what artists entered following the success of CSAS’s RAW exhibition in April.
“There’s exciting, if not quirky, new local talent starting to emerge since the RAW exhibition,” she said.
“Entry forms have been jumping off the shelf … and [CSAS] if proud to inspire and encourage.”
For those wanting more creativity during the festival weekend, two mural workshops will be held at the Charlotte Street gallery on 14 and 16 June, from 8:30am-12pm, as well as a special guest on 15 June at 1pm.
“Captain Cook will be dropping in to pose for a portrait drawing session on Saturday,” Ms Dennis said.
“Check out the Cook Shire calendar for details, or our blackboard at the gallery.”
