Artistically talented students have impressed the judges at last night’s IEU-QNT Excellence in Art Design Awards.
The awards held at the Queensland Multicultural Centre in Brisbane attracted over 600 entries from students and teachers across the Queensland and Northern Territory independent education sector, with entrants submitting artwork with a theme of ‘Colours of Life’.
Student Sophia Beeching from St Paul’s School in Bald Hills was awarded the top honour of the Harriet Hunter Memorial Award, established in memory of a gifted student whose life was tragically taken in the 1999 South-East Queensland floods.
The Harriet Hunter Memorial Award winner is selected from all winning entries across Pre-school to Year 12 and was judged by Adrian Hunter.
Adrian said Sophia’s winning piece titled ‘Rainbow Splotch Monster’ was an exciting and well thought response to the theme.
“This artwork immediately grabs the eye – it is bursting with colour and energy yet it compositionally constrained,” Adrian said.
“The artist has developed this arrangement around the initial experiment – evoking a sense of joy for life, anticipation, improvement and showing an enthusiastic approach to being creative,” he said.
IEU-QNT Branch Secretary Terry Burke said the judges were wowed by the quality of submissions across all age groups in response to the theme.
“The judges commented on the high standard of entries and the varied and creative interpretations that entrants brought to this year’s theme,” Mr Burke said.
“Our union established the Awards in 1994 to promote and encourage artistic students and celebrate their flair for creativity.
“Art is a very important area of learning in schools, and IEU-QNT is proud to support the artistic talent of students and staff in the Queensland non-government sector.
“We congratulate all recipients for their remarkable achievements.”
Read the full list of Award recipients here.
