By Casey Neill
The Noble Park Community Art Show received 100 extra entries this year.
More than 500 people viewed the 330-plus art works on display on Friday 20, Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 October.
“I think we had probably about 60 people here on the Friday morning for the schools and all abilities display presentation,” the centre’s administration manager Danielle O’Neill said.
“Opening night we had about 230 people attend then across the weekend there would have been between 320 and 350 people.”
Ms O’Neill said the show attracted 263 entries in the open section and 70 in the juniors.
“That’s almost 100 more entries this year than last year,” she said.
“A lot of the new entries came from artists societies outside the municipality as well, so the word is getting out there.
“We’ve been looking at trying to get more junior entries.
“We would like more photography entries.”
She said the field featured lots of new entrants.
“I think what people like is that we don’t turn anything away,” Ms O’Neill said.
“It doesn’t matter what your ability is, you have the opportunity to showcase your work to the public.”
Overall winner Michelle Black had never won anything before.
“She was beside herself, actually,” Ms O’Neill said.
“It was an oil painting called Mount Cockburn, Kimberley – a landscape.”
The overall runner-up was Sue Jarvis.
“She did this amazing piece, an observation of people crossing Springvale Road,” she said.
“It’s a real study on diversity.”
Art show committee member Rose Velardi won the Fred Woodman award for the best watercolour.
Woodman was an art show founding member and died last year.
“That was actually quite touching,” Ms O’Neill said.
“He was a watercolour artist.”
A couple of entrants in the junior section took home more than one prize.
“Partly that is because we’ve got less junior entries to decide between, but these girls were just standouts,” she said.
Akasha, 7, won best photograph and the Isobel Hamill Budding Artist Award and Molly won the primary section first prize and the primary section runner-up prize.
