IT was a happy 30th birthday party on for CAPO, the Capital Arts Patrons’ Organisation, as it celebrated local artists and arts patronage in a gala cocktail and auction at Canberra Museum and Gallery on Saturday night.

Art fan and MLA, Chris Bourke, was on hand to announce that the 2014 CAPO Fellowship had gone to glass artist Matthew Curtis, of Queanbeyan. Curtis said he planned to use his fellowship to work with Tiwi Islands artist Jock Puautjimi.

The long-running collaboration between arts and business featured an exhibition of 150 artworks donated by Canberra artists.

CAPO can never predict exactly what the figures are until auction results are in, but the CAPO Fellowship is worth up to $15,000 and the Rosalie Gascoigne award up to $5000. This year, the CAPO board contributed $2000 for the 30th Anniversary Award for Established Artists and the other awards are sponsored by local businesses.

Alison Jackson, winner of The Rosalie Gascoigne Memorial Award, will use her grant to create new tableware objects, while Emma Beer, who won the Reading Room CAPO London Exhibition Award, will travel to London to exhibit her paintings.

The Macquarie Wealth Award went to Andrew Townsend and Suzie Bleach to purchase equipment as they rebuild their studio following a fire. The new Fuji Xerox Sustainable Art Award went to composer and puppeteer, Marianne Mettes.

The Established Artists Award was presented to Marzena Wasikowska, who will travel to Niagara Falls to create images.

Alison Munro’s award from Sage Legal Services will support a residency at Chiang Mai University in Thailand, while Claire Primrose will use the Eckersley’s Materials Award to extend her range of paintings.

Sally Adair, who won the National Press Club’s Emerging Artist Award, will use it to pay for steel pieces and graduate study fees.

The Workplace Research Associates Award will help Alex Boynes with costs for his sculptural “stage” and the installation “Dark Matter,” and the King O’Malley’s Award went to Bettina Hill to help create an artwork for exhibition at CMAG.

Debra Jurss will use the Capital Insurance Brokers Award to help create 3D glass sculptures, while Katy Mutton will use the McGrath Woden Emerging Artist Award to create work around the stories of returned servicemen.

Finally, the Urban Pantry Award went to Nic McConaghy for an electro acoustic soundscape of Australia’s snow country.