Winner of the 2011 Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship
As you can see Brett Whiteley's remarkable achievements throughout his life will continue to be recognized with the help of his mother, who set up the Brett Whiteley Travelling Scholarship in 2004. Beryl Whiteley, who died last year, said she was "inspired to create the fellowship by her son's artistic experience when he went to Europe on an Italian government art scholarship in 1960". She said it was a great place and to do that for the first time, you could never replace it. "Even if you don't produce any work because you're so busy looking -- just live it", she said. Gibson's series of paintings,
Broadway site 2010, won her the scholarship. They capture the demolition of the once large Carlton & United Brewery brewery, located just outside the Sydney CBD. Gibson said "Every day you see progress. It's never still, it's always changing".
Previous winners such as Nathan Hawkes, for his work
Icebergs 2007, continue to shine. Hawkes has successfully exhibited of number of shows, including Radial, NAS gallery (2007); Ten X Four, Stairwell Gallery (2101) and Joy, Trophy Room Gallery (2010).
Although we live in financial times, scholarships like the Brett Whitely Travelling Art Scholarship keep aspiring young artists motivated and continue to keep the love of art alive. As the cost of living and the expense of art supplies continue to rise, it is nice to read of one artist's legacy will help others to continue on with their dreams. This is the 13th year the Brett Whitely Travelling Art Scholarship has been awarded. Many young and up-coming artists have continued on to achieve further success and critical praise after receiving this honor. Previous winners are now regular finalists in the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes, to name a few. Many extend their residencies and travel extensively throughout Europe and beyond. Alice Byrne, winner of the inaugural Brett Whitely Travelling Art Scholarship in 1999, went on to complete a one-month residency at La Pommerie in central France, before holding her first solo exhibition of paintings and gouaches in Paris. ‘The lovely thing is that they don’t just spend three months in Paris. They all go on, to Spain, Madrid, London, New York. They work very hard" claims founder, Beryl Whiteley (2011).
Ben Quilty, winner of BWTAS, 2002 for
Elwood Park won the 2009 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize for a painting of Australian musician Jimmy Barnes (
Khe Sahn). He was recently crowned the winner of the 2011 Archibald Prize for his portrait of Australian artist
Margaret Olley.
