THE highlight of the 24th ACT Arts Awards coming up this Tuesday at the Canberra Museum and Gallery is bound to be the announcement of the 2014 “CityNews” Artist of the Year, but it’s always much more than that.

Hosted by the Canberra Critics’ Circle, which presents its own awards to many of the brilliant people who make up the Canberra arts community, the night is also a celebration of that community.

During the evening, the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance also presents recognition awards to members of the professional theatre community in Canberra.

Joining with the Critics’ Circle and “CityNews” this year in honouring the Artist of the Year, Queanbeyan artist Matthew Curtis will present a substantial glass work of his making to the winning creator.

Curtis, who was the Capital Arts Patrons Organisation’s 2013 fellow, under which he has been working collaboratively with Jock Puautjimi from the Tiwi Islands, incorporating Puautjimi’s designs in a series of glass objects.

He is just back from a visit to SOFA, the annual Sculptural Arts And Functional Objects Fair in Chicago, where he met and negotiated with clients and what is far and away his biggest market.

The only question remaining is whether the chosen Artist of the Year will be strong enough to pick up the sculpture – it may look to be of typical trophy size, but it’s made of solid glass!

The list of winners in the 24th ACT Arts Awards will be published in next week’s edition of “CityNews”.