Ben Quilty, winner of the Archibald Prize 2011, will judge this year’s  Hazelhurst Art Award, a competition now in its fifth year and with prizes totalling $26,000. Over 700 local, national and international artists submitted works on paper from which 71 have been selected for display. Entries showcase a diverse range of paper media including drawings, charcoal, ink, 3 dimensional work, print making, gouache, oil, acrylic and video.

Both the regional and community galleries will display entries this year due to the overwhelming response. Don’t forget to vote for your favourite work in the People’s Choice Award (prize $1,000). Nominators of the People’s Choice Award also go in the draw to win $100 Hazelhurst vouchers.

Get along to this exhibition and while there check out the great courses offered for term 3.

Exhibition dates: 8th July to 14th August, 2011.

Hazelhurst Cafe does a great coffee on the terrace.

You could be forgiven for thinking you were in a gallery space in the MOMA, New York or the TATE Modern in London when you walk into the current Hazelhurst Gallery exhibition.

Congratulations to the curator, Daniel Mudie Cunningham, who has devoted the entire gallery space to a survey show of the work of Bundeena artist, Ildiko Kovacs spanning 30 years.

This is a journey through abstraction. Large works contained within their frame represent the artists responses to her world through line, colour, and mark making. These are bold, energetic and gestural works, some of which are intense in colour while others are more layered with short hand type mark making. In 2009 the paint roller replaced the paintbrush and works became more intuitive and conceptual.

Team this visit with a coffee at the cafe. We are very lucky to have this facility in the Sutherland Shire. The exhibition runs until 3 July 2011.

Don’t miss out on the weekend workshop, ‘Contemporary Mixed Media Landscape‘ with Pamela Griffith on 12 June. Participants will create  landscapes using acrylic ink, charcoal and graphite. Workshop runs from 10am-40pm and costs $90.

Image: Ildiko Kovacs, Serpentine 1999, Oil on plywood, 155 x 275 cm, Collection: Museum of Contemporary Art, Gift of Ann Lewis AO