Kate, who is a member of the Emu Park Art Gallery, won the coveted Rio Tinto & QAL Martin Hanson Memorial Art Award for her artwork IF, I climb the hill…, winning $15,000 prize money.  

Section winners included Modern Mother by Michelle Taranto (Easel Paintings), THEN VI by Cleo Wilkinson (Works on Paper), M T Nesters Thing of the Past? by Jude Kennedy (Three Dimensional & Fibre Works) and Outbound by Clifton Schulke (Digital Works).  

Judge of The 48th Rio Tinto & QAL Martin Hanson Memorial Art Awards Sarah Johnson, Senior Curator at Qantas Founders Museum Longreach, said Kate’s work piqued her interest from the moment she saw it.  

“This a sophisticated and beautifully executed painting that is a statement by the artist on the justice system from a First Nation perspective,” Ms Johnson said.  

“The painting is technically excellent and depicts a physical and metaphorical hill to climb, both timely and salient.  

“This is an outstanding piece of art that deserves to be fully recognised and awarded.  

“Reading the Artist Statement from Kate revealed the many layers of this work.”  

Kate is a Ngiyampaa Wailwan woman, and in her Artist Statement she says IF, I climb the hill… “represents the First Nations gap in the justice ecosystem.”  

“The heaviness of the load weighs on everyone who becomes part of the journey,” the Artist Statement reads.  

“The victim and their families, victim support staff, prosecutors, the defendant and their criminal lawyer, witnesses and the Judge and so many others. Moving forward undoing the past.”  

This year, 272 entries were received and displayed, including:  

• 145 Section 1 entries, Easel Works
• 63 Section 2 entries, Works on Paper
• 40 Section 3 entries, Three-Dimensional & Fibre Works
• 24 Section 4 entries, Digital Works. 

Gladstone Region Mayor Matt Burnett was pleased to see an increase in local entries for this year’s Awards.  

“We are very proud of our local artists in the Gladstone Region with 152 local artists on display this year and it was fantastic to see some of them win as well,” Councillor Burnett said.  

“I was also impressed by the 23 people who entered the Young Emerging Artist category this year, which is testament to the enthusiasm of the next generation of artists.”  

The QAL People’s Choice Awards Voting is now open and closes at 2pm on Saturday, 20 January 2024.  

Voting is simple:

• Visit GRAGM and enjoy the exhibition before 2pm Saturday, 20 January 2024
• Scan the QR Code
• Enter your details
• Choose your favourite in each section.  

The QAL People’s Choice Awards Winners win $500 each. Visit gragm.qld.gov.au for more details.  

WINNERS LIST – The 48th Rio Tinto & QAL Martin Hanson Memorial Art Awards  

OVERALL  

Overall Winner – Martin Hanson Memorial Art Award, sponsored by Rio Tinto and Queensland Alumina Limited
$15,000
Kate Oates IF, I climb the hill…  

The Pamela Whitlock Memorial Acquisitive Award, sponsored by Gladstone Ports Corporation
$5000
Johanna De Maine and Tatsuya Tsutsui Nuinoike-fragmented memories  

The Pieter Groen-int-woud Memorial Young Emerging Artist Award, sponsored by Multitrade Building Hire
$1,500
Kokoda Cadzow-Smith Somniator  

The Local Murri Artist Award, sponsored by Elizabeth & Leo Zussino
$2000
Gordon Lister A Love Story  

The Local Artist Award, sponsored by QER – Queensland Energy Resources Pty Ltd
$2000
Craig Walters Friends 

The Installers Choice Award, sponsored by Councillor Natalia Muszkat
$500
Liz Farrell Pipe Dreams  

SECTION 1: EASEL PAINTINGS  

First Prize, sponsored by Gladstone Area Water Board
$2,000
Michelle Taranto Modern Mother  

Second Prize, sponsored by 4CC
$1,000  
Sam Pennisi Gladys Galah  

Third Prize, sponsored by Gladstone Cinemas
$500
Elizabeth Marsh Miner  

SECTION 2: WORKS ON PAPER  

First Prize, sponsored by ConocoPhillips
$2,000
Cleo Wilkinson THEN VI  

Second Prize, sponsored by Central Apartment Group
$1,000
Carla Adams “Johnny”  

Third Prize, sponsored by Elevate Media
$500
Niloufar Lovegrove Peacemaker Guardian  

SECTION 3: THREE DIMENSIONAL AND FIBRE WORKS  

First Prize, sponsored by Gladstone Area Water board
$2,000
Jude Kennedy M T Nesters Thing of the Past?  

Second Prize, sponsored by Ana’s Spa Massage and Beauty Therapy
$1,000
Djuran Johnson Kubi Guvi Thoo  

Third Prize, sponsored by Gladstone Area Promotion and Development Ltd (GAPDL)
$500
Christine Holden Food For Thought 

SECTION 4: DIGITAL WORKS  

First Prize, sponsored by Gladstone Engineering Alliance (GEA)
$2,000
Clifton Schulke Outbound  

Second Prize, sponsored by CQUniversity
$1,000
Tom Holden Composition 44  

Third Prize, sponsored by Newprint HRG
$500
Emma Thorp On Any Given Day  

The 48th Rio Tinto & QAL Martin Hanson Memorial Art Awards Exhibition will be on display until Saturday, 27 January 2024. 

Download this media release (PDF)

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