Ipswich Art Community - What really hurts

It's about the spirit of the awards.  The Ipswich City Council stepped in last year to save the Art Awards. Until then the Art Awards were driven by Ipswich Artists, groups and the business community. Members of the community gave their time to organise and run this event in order to encourage other artists in the region. My own growth as an artist is due in part to Wayne McDonald and Glen Smith who kept encouraging me to enter each year because they saw my potential. 

My perseverance through their encouragement paid off when I received a Highly Commended last year. This is the spirit of the awards and now I encourage other artists to have a go.  However having a go this year is not the same.  The cost of entering is not rewarded with a chance to exhibit and sell your work.  The realty is the Ipswich Council have contributed a small amount to the cost of the awards.  The rest was paid in artists fees @ $30 per entry and the $25 to attending the Awards night.  

This year there are only first prizes in each category and no highly commended on offer to provide encouragement.  Previously other awards have been offered to invest in up and coming artists such as an emerging artist award and a printmaking residency.  Works were also acquired by the Ipswich Gallery and local businesses.  

Effectively the Ipswich arts community are funding these awards not the Council.  Resulting in the arts community hurting.   There was no indication that all artworks would not be hung and there is certainly no investment in further artistic careers being made. This is what really hurts.

The withdrawal of sponsorship's last year was due in part to the Ipswich City's Councils actions and lost of trust in the community.  Despite the event being run solely by community members each donating hundreds of hours of their time to make the event successful.  This year is no exception Arts Connect are again manning the exhibition for the 3 days it is open to the public.The arts community as a whole, not just visual artists, but performers, musicians and poets heavily support other events during the festival. 

What hurts the most is much of this information about not all working being hung was not divulged before entering art and buying opening night tickets. It was only upon delivery or art this information was given on a slip of paper.  The lack of transparency from Ipswich City Council is still evident.  It feels personal and like a kick in the guts.  The actions of the Council devalues what artists give to the community.  

This is not what the awards  were about.  We are discouraged as community but united in our resolve. We will celebrate our own achievements in our own way on the 26th April at Salon des Refused at the Arts Alive Gallery, we ask that the Ipswich community come and support local artists over the weekend of 26 to 28th April by purchasing work.