Grants help art come to life

A NEW group of visual and performing artists have been named the beneficiaries of Ballarat Arts Foundation’s latest grant round.

Eight performers and creators have been given financial support, including printmaker Amanda Western, known for her Arch of Victory linocut mural at The Mallow Hotel.

She is the Rotary Club of Ballarat South Award recipient for visual and performing arts, and specialises in large prints, which require big pieces of paper, sometimes over a metre long.

“I use oil-based ink for better coverage, but it takes a long time to dry,” she said. “A big piece can be wet for maybe a week, and I’m printing multiple of them.

“Having so many large pieces of wet paper around my studio is not practical, so I requested support from the Ballarat Arts Foundation to buy a large drying rack.”

Ballerinas Madison Sparkman and Leni Howlett have received the Craig Revel Horwood and Stubbs Roberts awards respectively.

Illustrator of botanicals and insects Georgina Gould-Hardwick won the Haymes Family Foundation Award, and textile artist Anzara Clark was given the VJ Award in support of overseas study.

Other recipients include comic book writer Shaun Sunday, the Will Coltman awardee, tenor Nicholas Collins, the Louis Stevens Award honouree, and musician Zlatko Balazic, who has been given the Nicholson Award for Contemporary Performance.

Western said the assistance the foundation provides is critical for those like her, as studio art practice requires a lot of investment upfront for consumables.

“It’s a lot more than the average person would understand, and it’s challenging in an economic climate that’s tough, and where there’s not much income forthcoming,” she said.

“If you want to develop your practice, certain equipment helps you move forward, and for me, that’s the drying rack

“A grant like this also gives you confidence. I’ve always been motivated, but when you get the recognition publicly it spurs you on.”

BAF chair Paula Nicholson said all the winning artists are at different stages of their careers, they have a focus on diverse practices, and a close connection to Ballarat.

“The value of work planned by the group totals almost $166,000, so something is definitely going on out there in the land of the arts,” she said.

“BAF were asked to contribute over $76,000 to these projects, and with an annual grants budget of $25,000, we had some decisions to make as usual.

“The artists seeking support were evenly spread across genres, with theatre, writing, music, visual arts, and dance, making up the numbers.

“We know artists are seeking to travel internationally for study, maintain and purchase instruments and dance equipment, edit and publish written work, produce live theatre, and purchase visual arts materials.

“We are excited to announce that eight artists are sharing in grant funding for 2023 and they have each received a named award, providing an opportunity for our donors to see their passion for philanthropic support in the arts, come to life through a specific project and by a specific artist.”