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Canberra Today 20°/22° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Recycled chair wins art award

THE 2014 Queanbeyan City Council Regional Art Award has gone to Queanbeyan artist Sonja Kalenjuk for her recycled piece “RE-Chair,” it was announced last night at The Q by Queanbeyan Mayor, Tim Overall.

Sonja Kalenjuk's  “RE-Chair”
Sonja Kalenjuk’s “RE-Chair”

The $2,000 non-acquisitive award was judged this year by artist Margaret Hadfield, a founder of the artist’s Shed, Queanbeyan, who now practises her art in Colbee Court, Phillip.

Ms Kalenjuk said she was thrilled with the award and that her piece was all about recycling, reusing and reducing.

“It’s all about recycling, making recycling fun, especially for kids,” Ms Kalenjuk said. “It was made from rubbish and salvaged material which is what a lot of my work is made from. This piece came together quickly and took around two months to complete…The ‘RE-Chair’ is designed to be a reading chair to read to kids.”

Ms Kalenjuk has been an artist throughout her life and exhibits 2-3 times per year but this is her first win.

Braidwood artist Leah-Kate Hannaford won the $500 Highly Commended Award for her mixed media work on canvas titled “Letters from Home,” but a look around the substantial exhibition shows that both front-runners had some stiff competition.

Cr Overall, whose own image appears in one portrait hanging in the show, told those present that the Council had increase hot prize pool from $2,500 to $3,00 in an award which reach out beyond Queanbeyan to artist residing in the Palerang, Cooma Monaro and Yass Valley local govern areas.

Exhibition wall, Cr Overall portrait by Julie Ballis in foreground
Exhibition wall, Cr Overall portrait by Julie Ballis in foreground

“Congratulations to Sonja and Leah-Kate on their achievements, and also congratulations to all 45 entrants who participated in this year’s award,” he said. “The quality of works presented to this Award are quite amazing and I encourage residents to come along to the exhibition over the next few weeks.”

The $500 People’s Choice Award is open for the remainder of the exhibition and the winner will be announced on August 25.

2014 Queanbeyan City Council Regional Art Award, at THE Q Exhibition Space, 10am-4pm weekdays and 10am-3pm Saturdays until August 23.

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