A local artist has won the Woollam Art on Show Award for 2022.
Mackay’s Emily Jayne Carroll won the award with her work entitled ‘Fredrick’ which was entered in the Easel Painting category, topping numerous entries received from all over the country.
“I’ve always been drawn to the old masters, so like the renaissance era of art,” Emily said.
Emily says she became obsessed with art in her senior year of high school, studying with a private art teacher, entering competitions and working as a commissioned artist after graduating.
She eventually embarked on a hairdressing career, seeking career and income stability, and opened her own salon.
“I actually hadn’t painted at all for ten or 11 years and ‘Frederick’ was my first finished piece in ten years,” Emily said.
“It was incredible, winning, it just gave me a lot of validation that this is actually what I’m supposed to be doing with my life and I’m on the right path, so I shut down my hairdressing salon and I’m putting all my focus into this now.
“I really do think that, right now, the world desperately needs art.
“I think with everything happening in the world, it’s so important, it provides an alternate glimpse into a different world for people and pulls people away from the negativity and the state of the world currently.
“I think these competitions are just so important.”
Melbourne-based artist Deanna Hitti was the guest judge at this year’s Art on Show Awards and says she can see unique subject matter reflected in works coming out of the Mackay area.
“I go to quite a few towns within the states of Australia and they’re all so different,” she said.
“All the voices are different, the medias are different, there’ll be one media popular over another, the approach to the media will be different, the themes will be different and this is quite an eclectic mix here which is quite lovely to see.
“There’s so much talent here.
“(The works are) very, very personal.
“You very much get a sense of place here…I felt as though there was quite a connection between the artist and their subject matter.”
Deanna attributes Mackay to beginning her art career after she won the Libris Award in 2008.
“Conceptually, I started to know why I wanted to bring printing and books together, and then I won that award and then two years later - back then there was a symposium for artists' books as well so I exhibited in that and it was massive exposure and it started right here, which is amazing.”
*breakout box*
Woollam Art on Show Awards 2022
$3000 Overall Winner – Woollam Art on Show Award 2022
Artist: Emily Jayne Carroll
Title of Work: Fredrick
Section 1 – Easel Painting Award 1st Prize
Artist: Sharon Ruhle
Title of Work: Waiting
Section 2 – Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal Works on Paper Award 1st Prize
Artist: Desma Munro
Title of Work: Abandoned
Section 3 – 7 Mackay Local News Miniature Award 1st Prize
Artist: It Hao Pheh
Title of Work: Pumpkins
Section 4 – North Jacklin Emergent Artist Award 1st Prize
Artist: Georgia Farlow
Title of Work: Endemic
Included in Section 4 – Keith’s Mean Machine Excavations Emergent Artists Arts Practice Award
Artist: Georgia Farlow
Title of Work: Endemic
Section 5 – Artists’ Book Award 1st Prize
Artist: Avril Makula
Title of Work: Bibliolater
Art on Show Guest Judge Deanna Hitti and Award Winner Emily Jayne Carroll with Emily’s piece ‘Frederick’. Photo supplied: Melissa Broadhurst
Mackay’s Rosemary Payne won the MineMech Services People’s Choice Awards for 2022 with her work ‘There Lies a Tale’. Photo supplied: Art on Show
Mikayla Parrotta won second in the People’s Choice Awards with her work titled ‘Moments Before Disaster’. Photo supplied: Art on Show
