[Staff-bulletins] MEDIA RELEASE - The Many Faces of Townsville - Xstrata Percival Portrait Award 2008

["Marg Naylor" <Marg.Naylor@townsville.qld.gov.au>]

Title: MEDIA RELEASE - The Many Faces of Townsville - Xstrata Percival Portrait Award 2008

MEDIA RELEASE - for immediate release: Wednesday 23 July 2008

The Many Faces of Townsville

Xstrata Percival Portrait Award 2008

Perc Tucker Regional Gallery is gearing up for the Xstrata Percival Portrait Award 2008. The show is the Gallery’s annual portrait award, and the artistic community responds accordingly, with the Gallery deluged with 138 entries.  These entries are primarily from north Queensland artists, although works have been attracted from across the country.

Xstrata Percival Portrait Award 2008 focuses on the genre of portraiture, and independent judge Elizabeth Cross was sought for her expertise. The entries will be vying for $10,000 in prizes, the main prize of $5000 offered by Xstrata.

The Percival exhibits a range of traditional and contemporary portraits, displaying work in a wide range of mediums. The works reflect not only the sitter’s appearance, but strive to capture the sitter’s unique character. Gallery Director, Frances Thomson, said “This exhibition showcases the well-known and less well-known faces in our community by many of our artists.  It is a community event.”

Elizabeth Cross will deliver a lecture looking essentially at the history of portraiture in Western Art, beginning with Roman art, on Saturday 26 July. Elizabeth has compiled this PowerPoint in conjunction with artists and curators, so it is an excellent informative lecture for artists and the general public. 

Selected artists will deliver a floor talk on Sunday 27 July that will guide the public around the exhibition, and provide an intimate insight into the story behind their respective portraits.

An embargoed list of winners will be available on Friday.

All events are free to the public.

Free Lecture on the History of Portraiture
11.00 am Saturday 26 July 2008 with Elizabeth Cross Melbourne-based writer, critic, curator and artist

Free Floor Talk
11.00 am Sunday 27 July 2008 with participating artists

Exhibition Dates
Friday 25 July to Sunday 14 September 2008

Media Opportunity
Elizabeth Cross is available Wednesday 23 July, Friday 25 July and Saturday 26 July.  Arrangements can be made to interview selected artists

For more information, images or interviews contact:

Marg Naylor I Public Programs Co-ordinator
Perc Tucker Regional Gallery I 07 4727 9627 I marg.naylor@townsville.qld.gov.au
www.townsville.qld.gov.au/recreation/gallery/perctucker
Cnr Flinders Mall & Denham Street I PO Box 1268 Townsville QLD 4810

Xstrata Percival Portrait Award
25 July - 14 September 2008
Colourful characters of Townsville captured by the region's talented artists