A night under the stars inspired the winning artwork in the NOW Contemporary Art Exhibition.
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Margie Carew-Reid was awarded the Shoalhaven Contemporary Arts Prize for her work, ‘Central Desert’.
The piece is part of the bi-annual exhibition organised by Jervis Bay and Basin Arts and is currently on display at the Shoalhaven Arts Centre.
Margie was presented with her award recently by Wayne Pryor, president of Jervis Bay and Basin Arts.
She said her artwork came about after a memorable holiday.
“It’s based on a trip that my husband, Paul and I did to the centre of Australia, to an area just 300 kilometres to the west of Alice Springs and I spent my first night ever in a swag,” she said.
“As I went to bed, I looked up at the sky and it was a black, black sky and it was filled with stars and I was so excited I could hardly sleep.
“It was just so interesting to watch this night sky that changes all the time.”
Margie’s work also includes a second painting that she said portrays what she felt visiting the area on a long, hot summer’s day.
With an artist residency included in her win, Margie said she celebrated the announcement with ‘a little bit of champagne’.
The exhibition showcases the diversity and depth of local talent, is on display until July 8 at the Shoalhaven Arts Centre.
As part of the show, poets are invited to respond in writing to one or more of the finalists’ artworks.
The Kitchen Table Poets will hold a poetry reading in the main gallery at Shoalhaven Arts Centre on Saturday 1 July from 12–2pm.
Poets are invited to come along to read their ekphrastic poems and all are invited to enjoy the interesting responses to the contemporary works of art.