The vibrant art community of the Snowy Mountains is set to shine once more as the Raglan Gallery gears up for its highly anticipated “Heads Up” Portrait Art Prize and Exhibition in June.
Encouraging artists from all walks of life to delve into the rich tapestry of local personalities, the event promises to be a celebration of both art and community.
Open to all artists, the competition asks that the subjects of the portraits are local residents of the Monaro region. Wendy McDougall, a valued member of the Raglan Gallery board, and prominent local artist, explains, “Any medium can be a portrait, but the main criteria is that the sitter needs to come from the Monaro region.”
“We want the focus to be on who is in our community, the artist, however, can be from anywhere. Maybe they’re a caricature artist, a sculptor, a painter, or a photographer, the medium doesn’t really matter, everyone is welcome.”
PHOTO: ‘Rowena Evans’ by Merilyn Minell – Supplied
In total, there are four major prizes on offer: a first prize of $1000, second prize of $600, third prize of $400, and a youth award of $200, welcoming entries in any artistic medium.
The works must be created within 24 months of the competition (commenced after May 2024), and artists are encouraged to capture the spirit and character of their subjects.
“For me, as an artist myself, I think that the person you choose sort of helps dictate what you might want to do, how you see them, because the whole point of a portrait is to say something about that person,” McDougall added.
PHOTO: ‘Jacki’ by Wendy McDougall
The entry fee is set at $30 per work, with youth entries costing $20 each. Artists are allowed to submit up to two works, which should not exceed 130cm x 100cm, except for sculptures, which must remain portable. The competition also upholds a professional standard by requiring all entries to be new, original works, not previously awarded prizes in other exhibitions or shows.
The event isn’t just about art, it’s an opportunity to acknowledge and honour the diverse personalities within the Snowy Mountains community. As Wendy passionately notes, “They might be a serious kind of character, or someone who’s doing really fantastic work in the community, maybe it’s your next door neighbour who just looks after 10 kids all the time and never gets recognised for the work.”
“I think, in any piece of art, the artist can’t but help be in their work, because that’s their style, but when you have a criteria to answer, you really do have to look at the person you’re choosing, and you have to say something about them.”
PHOTO: Wendy McDougall ‘self portrait’.
Entries must reach the Raglan Gallery by 3:30pm, June 2, 2025, and anticipation is already building ahead of the exhibition’s opening on the 14th of June. The gallery’s celebration culminates on the 20th of July when the exhibition closes.
Art enthusiasts keen to support the event or reward the creativity of participating artists are encouraged to engage with the gallery.
“We’re still looking for some more sponsors who might want to support the event, and anyone who’s interested in being a sponsor could do so in the form of a prize, it doesn’t have to be cash it could be anything.” McDougall said.
“Art is important in our life, and in this instance, it’s the people of the community that make this place, and that’s a big part of why we’re doing portraits, and why it’s called Heads Up.”
For more details, interested parties can contact the Raglan Gallery directly at [email protected] or by calling 6452 3377. Artists can also collect an entry form from the Raglan Gallery in Cooma.
Wendy advised artists submit entry as early as possible to secure a spot in the competition, as entries could fill up fast.