Northern Beaches Council has announced it will present Arts in August, a month-long showcase of the creativity of the Northern Beaches region from 6 – 22 August 2021.
Comprising the inaugural Environmental Art and Design Prize presented across three arts venues, and two Creative Open weekends, Arts in August will feature open studios, a diverse range of cultural events, artist-led tours and live performances.
As part of the Festival, the two Creative Open weekends presented on 14 – 15 August and 21 – 22 August will see local designers, makers, musicians and creative businesses open their doors to visitors to experience the abundance of creativity of the Northern Beaches communities. The weekends will act as an arts trail to see the artists and businesses in situ, learn about their industry and witness firsthand their skills and the creation of their work.
Mayor Michael Regan said: “The Northern Beaches has an incredibly vibrant creative and cultural sector, and Arts in August offers us all a chance for a behind the scenes look into this talent.
"More than 13,207 or 8.5% of our employed residents work in the field, which is the second largest number of jobs in NSW in specialised design service and arts education and the third largest number of jobs in NSW in architectural services, creative artists, musicians, writers and performers."
The all-new Environmental Art & Design Prize will be presented across three venues of Manly Art Gallery & Museum, Creative Space North Curl Curl and Mona Vale Creative Pop Up Gallery, from 6 – 22 August. The exhibition will feature finalist works by artists and designers who have a keen interest and focus on the natural world, environmental renewal, regeneration and the circular economy in their work.
In its inaugural year, the Prize celebrates contemporary arts practices that are socially engaged, environmentally aware and seek to enrich and contribute to positive change through creative practice. The Prize is an inclusive and diverse exhibition that celebrates the vibrancy of the arts and design community within and beyond the Northern Beaches.
The prize pool will be over $40,000 across the nine categories encompassing a range of contemporary practices, from fashion and design to ceramics and painting. The judges for the Prize are internationally renowned artist Euan Macleod; artist, designer and curator Liane Rossler; and CEO and Artistic Director of the Australian Design Centre, Lisa Cahill.
Liane Rossler said: “I’m delighted to be judging this new prize that not only shines a light on some incredibly important and timely issues around protecting our natural world and sustainability, but also across such a breadth of disciplines. This Prize will truly give a taste of the incredible creative community in Australia.”
The full program for Arts in August and the finalists for the Prize will be announced in early July.
ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL ART AND DESIGN PRIZE JUDGING PANEL
Euan Macleod
Euan is an internationally recognised artist working mainly with paint, drawing and printmaking. He has held more than fifty solo shows in New Zealand and Australia and his paintings, drawings and prints are represented in numerous private and public collections; including the National Gallery of Australia, Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Euan has won art prizes in Australia, including the Dobell Drawing Prize in 2021, Archibald Prize in 1999, Sulman Prize in 2001, Blake Prize in 2006, New South Wales Parliament’s inaugural Plein Air painting prize in 2008, Tattersall’s Landscape Prize in 2000 and 2009, Gallipoli Art Prize in 2009, and King’s School Art Prize in 2011.
Liane Rossler
Liane is an artist, designer and curator who has worked in creative industries for over thirty years, and has spent the last fifteen years focused on projects that intersect art, design and the environment.
Alongside her solo creative practices, she is founder of Superlocalstudio, which inspires collaborative, socially engaged cultural and creative projects for diverse audiences. Liane was co-founder, former designer and director of Dinosaur Designs for twenty five years.
Lisa Cahill
Lisa is the CEO and Artistic Director of the Australian Design Centre (ADC), a leading centre for contemporary craft and design. The ADC plays a critical role in building a significant design culture in Australia and in nurturing a nation of innovative makers, thinkers and audiences to use design in their lives.
Lisa is also currently co-chair of the Australian Craft and Design Centre Network and is a member of the Council of the Sydney Culture Network.