Thanks To David K Rees and Wife Val

The walk through with this years judge to discuss the criteria used in judging the exhibition and provide feedback to artists was very useful and instructive. All the artists attending were delighted to have such an opportunity.

Thanks so much to David and Val for taking the time to do this! They are very gracious.

This years exhibition has been a great success and having such a reputable judge of international standing has been a real coup for our art society and gallery.

Award Winners 31st Annual Art Exhibition 2009

Click link to see list of art award winners.

Award Winners 31st Annual Art Exhibition 2009

Cooktown Annual Art Exhibition!

The art entries for our 31st Annual Art Exhibition 2009 have arrived in the gallery! Hanging commenced yesterday and continued throughout today! So many art works to display that space is a problem. We are getting more and more entries every year.

We are grateful and lucky enough to have the assistance of Lou Derry with John as her able assistant. The paintings as arranged by Lou look fantastic! Elizabeth, with her trained artists eye also helped to decide on placements. The arranging of so many diverse paintings in all mediums, styles and sizes is not easy and the depleted 'hanging committe' did a superb job.

We have so many talented artists and when dispayed to advantage the talent is truly on show.

Due to life events and accidents most members are out of commission or working below capacity. Those working - or maybe croaking in Crooktown are:

• Betty with a badly lacerated and broken finger done while launching a boat
• Elizabeth recovering from a dislocated shoulder
• Janice unwell
• Sue feeling crook
• Faye with a pinched sciatic nerve

Lou, John and Peter are fit at least and as a consequence have been doing all the hard work of lifting and placing art works.

As life goes on in spite of the exhibition other members are unavailable. They either have to work or have births, serious illness or family crisis. Somehow we do manage to put it all together every year and that is certainly an achievement.

Once the art works are judged and we have had the award presentations on opening night - this Saturday - we can take a breath and enjoy the success of our exhibition! We may even get a chance to relax and enjoy the new paintings as we 'man' the gallery over the week leading up to the Discovery Festival. Hopefully we'll also sell a few!

Hopevale Arts and Cultural Centre Opens

Members of Cooktown School of Art Society attended the opening of the Hopevale Arts and Cultural Centre and the Nganthanun Bamawi Bayan Gallery in last week. The new centre is a real asset to Hopevale community and artists.

Facelift for Gallery - Hard At Work

Pictures of the workers gardening and painting. The Elizabeth Guzsely Gallery was given a facelift in preparation for our 31st Annual Art Exhibition which opens Saturday 30th May and will be open to the public from Sunday 31st May to Monday 8th June.

Golden Brush Award Winner!

Winner of the April 2009 'Golden Brush Award' goes to Betty Clark.

The April theme of 'Raindrops' was captured in the painting titled 'Safe Under Mum's Brolly'.

Next months theme is 'Footprints'!

As our Annual Exhibition is on the first week in June we will defer the "Golden Brush Award' presentation to the second Saturday of June.

So put you thinking caps on and get inspired by footprints .......... we'll see the results in a month!