18 Indigenous artists from across Victoria have been shortlisted in the 2009 Victorian Indigenous Art Awards, with the three winners to be announced on 27 November. The three prize categories are headed by the Deadly Art Award of $25,000 at the peak; the Koorie Heritage Trust Acquisition Award of $7,000 for a work that will enter the Koorie Heritage Trust’s permanent collection; and the $3,000 Boscia Award for Photography and Digital Media, which is non-acquisitive.

It is an inspiring showcase of Victorian talent, says State Arts Minister, Lynne Kosky, with strong representation of both regional and urban artists.

The shortlist was selected from 111 entries by indigenous artists resident in Victoria by a panel of judges including Shepparton Art Gallery Director Kirsten Paisley and Janina Harding, the City of Melbourne’s Indigenous Arts Program Manager.

This is the sixth year of the Victorian Indigenous Art Awards, which were created to celebrate and promote the State’s Indigenous art sector and to raise the profile of Indigenous artists, allowing them to connect to a wider audience and discover new professional opportunities.

Previous winners “ who include Lorraine ‘Bunta’ Patten in 2005, Rachael Mullet (2006), Belinda Philp (2007) and Marilynne Nicholls last year – have had successes both at home and overseas following their involvement in the awards.

Reko Rennie-Gwaybilla, winner of the 2008 Koorie Heritage Trust Acquisition Award, is now represented by the Dianne Tanzer Gallery. He is now in Paris completing a Cite Internationale des Artes Residency and was a finalist in the 2009 Royal Bank Scotland Emerging Artist Awards.

Since being shortlisted in 2006 and 2008, photographer Wayne Quilliam has held exhibitions in Germany, Austria, France, USA and China. Wayne was also named the 2009 NAIDOC Artist of the Year.

An exhibition of the finalists will be open to the public from 28 November at Boscia Galleries in Melbourne.

VICTORIAN INDIGENOUS ART AWARDS 2009 SHORTLISTED ARTISTS
Trevor ‘Turbo’ Brown “ Fitzroy
Megan Cadd – Doncaster East
Bindi Cole – Altona North
Vicki Couzens – Seddon
Frederick William Billy Doolan Jnr – Fitzroy
Gwen Garoni – Reservoir
Esther-Grace Hanigan – Fitzroy
Ben McKeown – Moonee Ponds
Brian McKinnon – Geelong
Clinton Nain – Northcote
Peter Waples-Crowe – West Melbourne
Nicholas Boseley – Ocean Grove
Barbara Egan – Robinvale
Gayle Maddigan “ Mandurang
Sharmane Maddigan – Mandurang
Irene Ridgeway – Traralgon
Ray Thomas – Portland
Kevin Williams “ Echuca