News Letter

, ,

bentART Poster Artwork Competition

Calling all Creatives! Ever wanted to design a fabulous poster that is used to promote an equally fabulous event?

The bentART Committee is needing a poster for 2022 and is now inviting bentART members to submit a design for the 2022 bentART poster.

The poster may be used by the bentART committee for the following reasons:

  • on social media, for example as the bentART Facebook Profile Cover image
  • in promotional material, for example, the poster advertising bentART exhibition
  • as the background on the certificates awarded as part of the bentART exhibition
  • as the background on the ‘thank you’ certificates sent to sponsors
  • on the bentART website, bentART.com.au

Conditions for submission

  • the design must be the original work of the artist
  • the art will be used by bentART for the period 1/1/2022 to 31/12/2022
  • the art must be on A4 and in portrait orientation
  • the piece must include the bentART logo
  • the design must have space where text can be added as needed
  • recognition will be given to the artist for their artwork
  • posters need to be sent in a high resolution either PDF or JPEG format to secretary.bentart@gmail.com before midnight on 15/12/2021
  • the artist retains copyright of the image and the bentART committee has permission for unlimited use of the image for the period 1/1/2022 to 31/12/2022
  • the image may be used periodically in the years beyond 2022
  • no financial consideration will be paid to the artist for the use of their artwork
  • the Artist whose design is selected will be made a “Friend of Bent Art” for the 2021/2022 financial year

If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact Sue Lightfoot, President, at president.bentart@gmail.com.

Join us by contributing to your community and supporting bentART 2022.

bentART has a new management committee!

Committee Members 2021

Congratulations to the newly elected 2021/2022 Management Committee

  • President – Sue Lightfoot
  • Vice President/Secretary – Stephen Mally
  • Treasurer – Susan Atherton
  • Committee Members – Robyn Auld,  Juls McWhirter, Susan Robbins, Ramtin Sohrabian

Watch this space for more news and info about bentART!

bentART 2021 Awards

There are some great prizes so get those entries in!  Entries close on April 30.

Awards will be announced Friday 11 June 2021 and will be live-streamed on the Bent Art Inc. Facebook Page.

  • Overall bentART Exhibition Award – PRIZE AUD$2,000.00
  • Overall bentART Exhibition Runner Up Award – PRIZE AUD$1,250.00
  • Highly Commended Awards – PRIZE AUD$500.00
  • Pets & Wildlife Smartphone-ography Award – PRIZE AUD$250.00
  • Design a Mask Award – PRIZE AUD$250.00
  • Catherine Cooper-Norwood – New Entrant Award – PRIZE AUD$250.00

In the early days, Catherine was a major supporter and sponsor of the event. Her love of the arts and desire to see BentART thrive was her main motivation.  Despite her challenging health issues Catherine loved to attend Opening night and did so without fail until her passing in 2019.  Catherine would be delighted to know that the “New Entrants Prize” will be awarded in her honour.

Remember this year the bentART exhibition will be a little different, well actually a lot different. For starters:

  • You will not need to bring your artwork to Wentworth Falls as all entries will be submitted online via the bentART website and displayed via a virtual gallery
  • Entries do not have to be For Sale, you choose if you wish to sell your art or just exhibit
  • bentART will not be taking commissions for any artworks sold
  • All artworks for sale will be direct with the artist
  • The exhibition will be able to be viewed worldwide

Exhibition Entries Open and Close Dates

 

Exhibition Entries 2021

 Entries Open March 8, 2021 – Close April 30, 2021.

There will be some great prizes awarded at the Opening on June 11, 2021.

 

We hope you are hard at work completing those bentART entries for this year’s virtual exhibition.

Remember this year the bentART exhibition will be a little different, well actually a lot different. For starters:

  • You will not need to bring your artwork to Wentworth Falls as all entries will be submitted on-line via the bentART website and displayed via a virtual gallery
  • The entry form will be available from March 8, 2021
  • Entries do not have to be For Sale, you choose if you wish to sell your art or just exhibit
  • bentART will not be taking commissions for any artworks sold
  • All artworks for sale will be direct with the artist
  • The exhibition will be able to be viewed worldwide

Go here for more details –  Exhibition Entry Details

New Category for a bit of fun in 2021!

Design a Mask Category

Have some fun and design your own COVID mask. This category is in the form of a digital entry and will be in a separate section of the virtual gallery.

The mask must have been designed within the last 12 months and must be your own design.

Take a selfie (self-portrait photograph) using a Smartphone and submit. This category will be judged by one of the fantastic bentART sponsors.

 Entries Open March 8 2021 – Close April 30 2021.

Go here for more details –  Exhibition Entry Details

bentART is going virtual!!

This year’s exhibition will be a virtual gallery to be viewed globally.

Calling all artists and art lovers to start thinking bentART COVID Safe:  host a house party, propose to offer an online artists’ workshop, any other ideas?

If you’re interested in running an online artist workshop or have other suggestions regarding the virtual exhibition please email:  secretary.bentart@gmail.com before Sunday, 31st January 2021.

Regular updates to follow.

Think virtual!

bentART 2021

Members, Friends and Supporters

The new bentART Committee has been elected and will be meeting at the end of October 2020 so watch this space for news about events, workshops and fundraisers to be held in the coming year.

One thing for certain is the new committee will be looking at ways to host an art event/exhibition in 2021 and will consider multiple COVID safe options so art can shine in the new world!

bentART 2019

bentART 2019 celebrated our 15th year with a  birthday party theme. The stage was well and truly set for a fabulous weekend!

Diversity – diversity of artwork reflecting the diversity of the artists who enter – this is the word used by both judges and the curator during their speeches:

“Just like the people who are here tonight, the range of artwork submitted is incredibly diverse: big, bright, bold, bodies, black and white, gentle and barely there”
– Amelia Tracey, Curator

The range of artworks included the well-known oils, acrylic, watercolour, pencil and ink, dry-point etching submitted on canvas, paper, and other mediums; photographic images printed on conservation rag, archival paper, parchment, on rag, acrylic sheet and on museum glass. We had mixed media, metal, printing ink on linen, lino print and gold leaf on rice paper, glass enamel on copper, many spoons on a wooden burl, hand cut and painted french paper. There was a wide range of sculptures made of amazing materials – steel/wire, glass panel, collected hardwood sticks, copper wire, ceramic.

The WINNERS…

The winners received their prizes from the judges or our major sponsors. See the winners for each of the Awards displayed below:
Overall Exhibition Award – Sue Lightfoot with By Choice 
 
Runner Up Award won by Alice Wheeler with Finishing Each Others Sentences
New Entrant Awardwon by Bryn Hutchinson with Two Sisters and a Lad
Curator’s Award won by Ellie-May Court with A beautiful outcome
Highly Commended Award won by Kathleen MacDonald with Have you tried it that way?
Highly CommendedAward – Jochen Letsch – Sister One
Highly Commended Award – Julianne McWhirter – View from Cox’s River Road
Highly CommendedAward – Michael O’Keeffe with Oh Mary
Highly Commended Award – Julie Patterson – The Mt Vic Flicks
Highly CommendedAward – Lorraine Trigg – Diversity
Highly Commended Award – April White – Great White Heron
Highly CommendedAward – James Gordon – Bush Flora 3
Highly Commended Award – Bernardo Diaz – Cerebral Candy
Our new Postcard Category with the 2019 theme of Reassessing Normal was awarded to Julianne McWhirter for The evolution of normal
Pet and Wildlife Smartphone-ography Award – Lachlan Hibbert Wells – Lucy, Queen of the Jungle
People’s ChoiceAward – Sue Lightfoot with Solitude and Trish Doyle
 
bentART is very privileged to have so many people who take time off work and donate their time freely to support bentART.
These include the judges Lizzy Marshall and Dr Sanne Mestrom,  the curator of this years exhibition, Amelia Tracey shown here with bentART President Juls McWhirter.
 

The Artists’ Talk…

Three artists enthralled the listeners with their responses to Jonathan Llewellyn’s questions, showing again the diversity of the artists who exhibit at bentART.
Ruth started her drawing from a young age and studied art early becoming an art teacher, while Gillian and Helen both came to a realisation that art was something they wanted to do later in life and started their art degrees then. These talks are always well appreciated and Jono does a great job as moderator, bringing out interesting sides of the artists and their works.
Ruth Le Cheminant, Gillian Hand and Helen Young with Jonathan Llewellyn
Artist talk attendees