2023 Mid West Art Prize opening night: Winners announced, exhibition launched at GRAG

The artistic talent on display was undeniable in the prestigious 2023 Mid West Art Prize, arguably making it extremely hard to judge. But it was a competition after all and the field had to be narrowed down, and in a massive pat on the back for the local art scene, all the winners were Mid West artists, who shared in a prize pool of $26,500. The biennial event was launched at a sold-out opening night on Saturday night at the Geraldton Regional Art Gallery, just in time for the crowd to appreciate the stunning Kingfisher’s Flight mural on the building’s outside walls finished last week by Fremantle artist Imogen Palmer. The exhibition, which takes over both floors of the gallery, showcases new works by contemporary artists from across the State and this time attracted a record number of entries at more than 200. From there, works were shortlisted and 62 pieces were displayed in the exhibition. Opening night spilt out into GRAG Park where the crowd enjoyed live music, street food and an outdoor bar. At just 18, Sakura Furukawa was the main winner on the night, taking out the City of Greater Geraldton Overall Award for Excellence, and taking home $20,000 thanks to her piece titled The Ghost, the Shadows, the Imaginary. The judges Furukawa’s piece “really speaks to the ‘now’ — an artwork depicting the mental health state of so many young people in an honest an authentic way.” The winner of the Yamaji Art Aboriginal Arts Award was Taileah Isaacs, who won $3500 for her work called Perspective. The other major winners were Mark Ditcham for the Bowman-Bright Mid West Artist Award ($1000 for his piece Holding) and Willow Mcauliffe for the Latitude Jewellers Youth Award ($500 for her work This is Not a Love Story). City Mayor Jerry Clune congratulated the winners and those who made the event possible. “Mid West Art Prize never fails to impress, and this year’s event was particularly special as all the winners were from the Mid West,” he said. “I encourage everyone to head down to GRAG to experience this fantastic exhibition.” The Mid West Art Prize exhibition, as well as voting for the People’s Choice Award, remains open until February 4.