Exhibition celebrates emerging artists

A solo exhibition will only ever be a dream for many artists, but for Redlynch State College student Teeya Ryan, it will become a reality within 12 months.

The Year 12 student has won the Tanks Curator’s Award at this week’s ENERGY 2020 launch, an exhibition of 126 works by promising high school artists from 21 schools in the region. The award was presented by Councillor Rhonda Coghlan, a member of the Cairns Art Gallery Board.

The ENERGY Exhibition is hosted annually in Tank 4, supported by Cairns Regional Council, Peninsula Art Educators Association and Ergon Energy. The works will be on display until October 5.

A selection of winning pieces are chosen for display in Brisbane as part of Education Queensland’s state-wide Creative Generations Awards for school students.

The awards presentation was a COVID-safe, live-streamed Facebook event, featuring five high school bands and watched by an audience of more than 2000 people from as far afield as England, Brazil and the Philippines.

The pandemic also influenced many of the students’ works, including major award-winners, Raymond Clark from Trinity Bay State High School who won three awards for his piece Breakout and Ms Ryan, whose photo Take a seat took out three awards.

“As families move deeper inside their homes to escape the disease, we’re all left craving the outside world,” Ms Ryan said. “My work brings the environment into our homes. In doing so, I have attempted to alleviate some of the claustrophobia many are experiencing.”

The Tanks Arts Centre Curator’s Award is presented to a year 12 student whose work shows promise and maturity, and offers the student a solo exhibition at Tank 4 within 12 months of graduating from high school.

The recipient of the Tanks Curator’s Award receives practical and curatorial support, mentorship and promotion of their exhibition.

Other major award winners include Hannah Skennerton (Mossman State High School), CJ Marshall, Lucy Qui (Cairns State High School), Layla Whittaker, Jayden Dowling (Trinity Bay), Leilani Tela (St Andrew’s Catholic College), Emily Edward (St Monica’s College) and Molly Stager (Good Counsel College).

See all works at Tanks Arts Centre until October 5 and watch the livestreamed awards event at the Tanks Facebook page.