25th Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award - Celebrating the Silver Jubilee
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Exhibition dates: Friday 15 August - Sunday 26 October 2008
Opening: 6pm Friday 15 August 2008
Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory
Conacher Street, Bullocky Point, Darwin
This year the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award.
The Award is open to all adult Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander artists and aims to showcase the very best Australian Indigenous art from around the country.
The non-acquisitive Telstra Award of $40,000 is awarded to the work considered by judges to be the most outstanding work in the exhibition. Additional prizes of $4,000 each are awarded in four media categories.
The four categories in which prizes are awarded are:
- the Telstra General Painting Award
- the Telstra Bark Painting Award
- the Telstra Work on Paper Award
- the Wandjuk Marika 3D Memorial Award (sponsored by Telstra)
The Telstra Award of $40,000 and the four media category prizes of $4,000 each are non-acquisitive.
The opening night of the Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award is a major dry season event in Darwin and attracts visitors and artists from all over the country.
This year the opening night will be held on Friday 15 August from 6pm onwards and feature free entertainment from Indigenous traditional and contemporary performers in the tropical grounds of the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. The event, at which winners are announced and prizes presented, is free and includes entrance to the exhibition.
All are invited to BYO food, refreshments and picnic blankets. No glass allowed.
Preselection 2008 - Entries Invited
Entries for preselection for the 25th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award are now being called for.
The closing date for entries is Friday 28 March.
Entries are invited in any theme or media including paintings on bark, canvas and paper, prints, sculpture, fibre art, ceramics, glass, photography and digital media.
Interview with 2007 Telstra Award Winner
Interview with Dennis Nona, winner Telstra Award, Ubirikubiri, cast bronze, 24th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award 2007
Entry Form/Fees
Copies of the Preselection Flyer, Guidelines and Entry Form are downloadable as PDF files. Entry Forms should be completed and sent with the entry fee of $25, by post, fax or email to the Award Coordinator.
- Preselection Flyer (pdf 1.17Mb)
- Preselection Registration Guidelines and Entry Form (pdf 415Kb)
For more information or to request an Entry Form contact:
The Award Coordinator
Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern (MAGNT)
GPO Box 4646
Darwin NT 0801
Australia
Phone: +61 8 8999 8203 or +61 8 8999 8264
Facsimile: +61 8 8999 8148
Email: natsiaa@nt.gov.au
Background
The Award was established in 1984 as the National Aboriginal Art Award by the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. The aim of the Award is to recognise the important contribution made by Indigenous artists and to promote appreciation and understanding of the quality and diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art from regional and urban based Indigenous artists throughout Australia, working in traditional and contemporary media. The Award is an important showcase for both established and emerging artists and has come to be regarded as one of the premier national events in the Australian Indigenous art calendar.
The Award attracts a range of Indigenous artists from all parts of the country and around 100 works are selected each year from up to 400 entries. The diversity and style of work submitted each year reflects the changing face of contemporary Aboriginal art practice.
Telstra has sponsored the Award since 1992 and has continued to further enhance its profile and prestige. In 2000, Telstra doubled the First Prize money from $20,000 to $40,000 making it the highest amount offered for any Indigenous art award. In 2005 Telstra announced its ongoing support for the Award amounting to a total of over $1 million in sponsorship over the next five years.
In 2006, the Telstra First Prize was re-named the Telstra Award and all prizes became non-acquisitive.
