Create. Connect. Whitsunday Investing in the Arts is Investing in Our Community

By Glenda Brown, President, Creative Connections Whitsundays  

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As the final artworks are packed away following another successful Great Barrier Reef Festival Art Exhibition, I'm reminded that the true value of events like these extends far beyond the gallery walls.  

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This year, artists competed for a prize pool valued at more than $9,200 in cash and in-kind awards, in addition to artwork sales throughout the exhibition.  

The Great Barrier Reef Festival Art Exhibition has grown into the Whitsundays' leading curated art competition. It provides artists with the opportunity to exhibit alongside their peers, receive professional recognition, connect with new audiences and, importantly, earn income from their creative practice.  

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When people invest in original art, they're not simply purchasing something beautiful for their home or workplace. They're investing in the talent, skill and vision of the artist behind it. They're supporting local enterprise, encouraging creativity and helping build a more vibrant and connected community.  

The Great Barrier Reef Festival Art Exhibition continues to grow each year because of the artists who enter, the volunteers who generously give their time, the sponsors who believe in the value of the arts, and the hundreds of visitors who come through the doors to experience the exhibition.  

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On behalf of Creative Connections Whitsundays, thank you to everyone who exhibited, volunteered, visited, voted, purchased artwork or raffle tickets, or simply encouraged an artist along the way.  

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We look forward to welcoming you back for an even bigger Great Barrier Reef Festival Art Exhibition in 2027.  

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Beauty Beneath the Surface Wins Best in Show  

Michelle Brayshaw has been awarded the 2026 Whitsunday Regional Council Best in Show Award at the Great Barrier Reef Festival Art Exhibition for her striking photographic work, Beauty is skin deep.  

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The exhibition's highest honour carries a $3,000 acquisitive prize, with the winning artwork becoming part of the Whitsunday Regional Council Art Collection.  

Responding to this year's exhibition theme, Beyond Beauty, Brayshaw's work invites viewers to look beyond what first meets the eye. The photograph captures a male and female Chameleon Parrotfish (Scarus chameleon) swimming together across the Great Barrier Reef as they undergo one of nature's most remarkable transformations.  

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Using specialised skin cells controlled by nerve and hormonal signals, these fish can change colour in a matter of seconds. While the vibrant male fades to a striking blue over a white belly, the seemingly subdued female reveals intricate patterns and vivid colourhidden beneath her exterior.  

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Rather than presenting this fleeting transformation as a video, Brayshaw layered multiple still photographs to create a single image that freezes the moment in time. The result allows viewers to pause and appreciate a phenomenon that would otherwise pass in an instant.  

The work beautifully embodies the exhibition's theme by revealing that beauty is not simply what we first perceive, but what is discovered through closer observation and deeper understanding.  

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The Best in Show Award recognises the outstanding artistic achievement represented in Beauty is skin deep and celebrates both the extraordinary biodiversity of the Great Barrier Reef and the power of photography to reveal the hidden wonders of the natural world.  

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Next Generation Artists Shine at Great Barrier Reef Festival Art Exhibition  

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The future of the Whitsundays' creative community is in good hands, with three talented Year 12 students from St Catherine's Catholic College recognised at the 2026 Great Barrier Reef Festival Art Exhibition.  

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This year, Creative Connections Whitsundays introduced the Next Generation Artist Award to encourage and celebrate emerging artists aged 16 to 18. The new award reflects the exhibition's commitment to nurturing young creative talent and providing opportunities for the next generation of artists to exhibit alongside established practitioners.  

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Six young artists were selected as finalists, with three of those representing St Catherine's Catholic College.  

The inaugural Next Generation Artist Award was presented to Lola Hornstra for her compelling mixed media installation, Everything Has Changed.

Sponsored by R&K Kenyon, together with a $100 cash prize generously donated by Cr Jan Clifford OAM, the award recognises outstanding artistic achievement by an emerging artist.  

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Lola's work explored themes of memory, place and personal experience through a combination of painted seascapes, suspended textile prints and driftwood. The moving translucent fabric reflected the fragility of memory, while repeated figures and familiar landscapes symbolised continuity, change and emotional connection across time. Her thoughtful interpretation of this year's exhibition theme, Beyond Beauty, impressed both the judge and exhibition organisers.  

Also recognised as finalists were Taylah Jade for Silent Stories and Evie Flynn for Bleached Bones. Demonstrating the exceptional standard of work produced by these young artists, both Lola and Evie also had additional artworks selected as finalists for the exhibition.  

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Creative Connections Whitsundays congratulates Lola, Taylah and Evie on this outstanding achievement. Their selection among 85 finalist artworks highlights not only their creativity and technical skill, but also the strength of emerging artistic talent within the Whitsundays.    

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Community Chooses 2026 People's Choice Award Winner  

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Creative Connections Whitsundays is delighted to announce Lenny Pennell as the winner of the 2026 Bendigo Community Bank Cannonvale–Proserpine People's Choice Award, receiving the $1,000 prize for Beauty in Creation.  

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Unlike the major exhibition awards, which are judged by invited arts professionals, the People's Choice Award is decided entirely by the community.  

Every visitor to the Great Barrier Reef Festival Art Exhibition has the opportunity to vote for the artwork that resonates most strongly with them, making this one of the exhibition's most treasured honours.  

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Proudly sponsored by Bendigo Community Bank Cannonvale–Proserpine since 2024, the People's Choice Award recognises not only artistic excellence, but also the powerful connection between artists and the people who experience their work.  

Celebrating local creativity, connection, and community  

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Whitsundays Writers Festival

Richard Evans

Festival Director and President

hello@whitsundayswriters.com  

Tickets are selling fast for the 2026 Whitsundays Writers Festival, 13 September! Secure your spot now at whitsundayswriters.com/2026-programme-speakers  

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Creative Connections Whitsunday

Glenda Brown

President

info@creativeconnectionwhitsunday.com  

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Get in touch!

If you would like to submit a poem, creative writing piece, profile suggestion, event information, or share your creative story, please contact hello@whitsundayswriters.com  

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