Art Show Gala Opening

The cream of Mount Alexander's art community gathered at Castlemaine Town Hall on Thursday afternoon for the Gala Opening of Rotary Castlemaine's 37th Annual Art Exhibition and Sales.​

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Guest judge, Paul Northam, awarded the Major Prize, sponsored by Narelle and Rob Waller of Belle Property in a continuation of their marathon 26-year support of the event, to Norma Bailey-­Ramsay's Karla.

Best 3D Work, also sponsored by Belle Property, went to Jason Johnston's In Motion with One.

Damian Callahan's Still Life with Elipse captured the award for Best Oil or Acrylic 2D, sponsored by Pyrenees Quarries.

Best Watercolour, sponsored by Gunangara Property Sales, was awarded to Jason Conn's Train to Nowhere.

Melissa Scott's Queen on the Highway and Judith McNay's Found Composition 1 were selected as joint winners of Best Photographic Work, sponsored by the Cumberland Hotel.

Yvonne de Valle's Uncle Harry took out Best Work on Paper, sponsored by Castlemaine Office Supplies. Yvonne's work also took out the People's Choice award sponsored by Parsons Motor and Body Shop.

Rounding out the awards, John Lam's The Two Forty Six was recognised with the Packers' Prize, sponsored by Chapmans of Castlemaine.

First prize in the Art Show Raffle went to Kylie Groen, second to Sally Clift, third to Jennifer Feeney and fourth to Jim Doherty.

Art Show Chair Robert Cordy thanked the sponsors, without whom the Show could not continue, and paid tribute to the Rotary volunteers who are the backbone of the Show. 

Funds raised by the show are returned to the community via grants to community organisations and community projects. Last year Rotary grants totalled about $80,000.