Nick Ashby wins 2008 Redland Art Award

Nick Ashby has been awarded first prize in the 2008 Redlands Art Award. The awards were announced at the official opening on Friday 28 November by the judge, Daniel Mafe.

The exhibition is currently on at the Redland Art Gallery (Cleveland, Q. Mon-Fri 9am-4pm, Sun 9am-2 pm) until 25 January 2009.

New Stephen Newton sculptures in Canberra, Melbourne and Caboolture

If you’re out and about around the country, Stephen Newton has several new sculptural pieces on show: Pinnacles and Reflections was installed at North Point TAFE Caboolture Campus; The Clayton Pinnacles were installed at the Clayton Community Centre in Melbourne; Wadi is a series of five timber slabs in the foyer of 460 Bourke Street, Melbourne, and Rain Pools consists of nine sculptures in granite for Clare Holland House by Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra.

Robyn Bauer Gallery takes part in Festive Walk

Robyn Bauer Studio Gallery (54 Latrobe Tce, Paddington, Q. Ph: 07 3369 6573) is hosting its latest exhibition - From the Verandah - during The Paddington Gallery Precinct Festive Gallery Walk on Saturday 6 December 2008 (4-8pm).

The show features new work from over 20 gallery artists including Merry Sparks, Symone Male (who’ll be showing abstract flower garden scenes with intricately painted, realistic insects incorporated within) and Robyn Bauer.

Susan Buret part of Bundanon Trust’s Paperwork

Susan Buret is one of several artists whose work will be exhibited in Paperwork: works on paper from the Bundanon Trust Collection which opens at the Shoalhaven City Art centre Main Gallery (Berry Street, Nowra, NSW) on Saturday 13 December (12 Noon) and continues until 4 February 2009.

Buret will be exhibiting Ghetto an installation she made while resident at the Bundanon Trust in June this year.

Anne Ah Gee work now represented in Noosa Heads and Mooloolaba

Hot on the heels of Anne Ah Gee’s recent solo exhibition - from the desert to the coast and all that is in between - at the Cairns Regional Gallery, her work will now be represented by David Hart Galleries in Noosa Heads and Mooloolaba.

You can also see Anne’s work in the January edition of Home Design + Living, and in the Cairns Regional Gallery Postcard Show which opens on 5 December.

Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch’s Postcard

Invited visual artist Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch is exhibiting in The Postcard Show 2008 - Hidden Treasures at Cairns Regional Gallery (Cnr Abbott & Shields Sts, Cairns, Q. Ph: 07 4046 4800) which opens on 5 December and continues until 19 Dec (6pm for closing function & final bids).

Mike Chavez a finalist in Fleurieu Peninsula Art Prize

Mike Chavez has been announced as a finalist in this year's Fleurieu Peninsula Art Prize with the work - Tarcutta Property. This prestigious award, with a $50,000 acquisitive prize, celebrates Australian landscape painting with the finalists' works on display in McLaren Vale, South Australia until the end of the month.

Mike is also taking part in the Christmas Show at Edwina Corlette Gallery (2/555 Brunswick St, New Farm, Q. Ph: 07 3358 6555).

The CPM National Print Awards is open

The 13th CPM National Print Awards is now open to all artists living in Australia and entries must contain a strong print content. The closing date for entries is 27 February 2009.

Community Printmakers Murwillumbah is also running a fundraiser where you can buy a Mike Parr signed limited edition print. Sales go towards the refurbishment of the CPM studio.

The CPM members group show - Samizdart - opens Saturday 13 December (3pm) at CPM Workshop Gallery (33-35 Kyogle Road, Bray Park, via Murwillumbah,NSW. Ph: 02 6672 8276 (Fri-Sun)) and continues to 21 December.

Barry Fitzpatrick part of Bio-diverse-city

Barry Fitzpatrick is coordinating an exhibition - Bio-diverse-city - featuring a ‘visual dialogue’ between urban planners, a social scientist and artists at the Logan Art Gallery in January.

Fiona Hall will open the exhibition on 14 January (6 pm) which includes painting, installation, digital print, drawing and video, and will explore the way we design our living to meet the environmental challenges of the future.

Meet Sam Sosnowski’s Swinging Friends

Sam Sosnowski’s new Public Art piece - Swinging Friends - is now hanging above the Knowledge Walk at the State Library Queensland as a semi-permanent display. The commissioned work is made from wire and plastic tubing.

Sam has always been intrigued by the human figure’s form and its capacity to be both tenuous yet resilient. The trapeze epitomises this ambiguous tension, symbolising the trust relationship forged by the performers, as well as expressing the dangerous physicality of the venture.

Short Takes December 2008

Annie Long has been invited to take part in an exhibtion of international artists in Ferrara, Italy. Trevisan International Art is curating Traces of Memory at the Estense Castle which is currently on until 7 December.

Kathryn Brimblecombe-Fox held a private viewing exhibition called MYOPTIMISM @ MYHOUSE at her home last month. You can see images from the show on her website.

Des Rolph has a new exhibition - The Ethereal Landscape - opening on Saturday 10 January (5pm) at The Gallery Eumundi (1 Gridley St, Eumundi. Ph: 5442 8365) and continuing to 1 February.

Tony Nugent has a new series of landscapes based on the Canungra area of SE Queensland.

Amanda O’Sullivan is exhibiting work in the 12 x 12 Art for the Tree group show at Retrospect Galleries (52 Jonson St, Byron Bay, NSW. Ph: 02 6680 8825) which opens on 4 December and continues to 12 Dec.

Lesa Hepburn was recently awarded the Queensland Alumina Ltd Award for her work on paper - Warm & Fibrous - at the 2008 Rio Tinto Alcan Martin Hanson Memorial Art Awards held at Gladstone Regional Art Gallery & Museum.

Jon Stanford is to speak on the current and prospective state of the economy at a meeting of the Australian Investors Association at the Broncos Leagues Club Red Hill Brisbane on December 3 at 2p.m. Enquiries 1300 555 061. Jon is also to give a paper at the Society of Heterodox Economists Conference at the Coogee Bay Hotel Sydney December 8 and 9 2008 on the Global Financial Crisis.