Michael Weitnauer was born in Hobart, Australia, and graduated from the University of Tasmania. He has strong ties to Berlin, where his parents lived before emigrating in 1952. Coming from an artistic family, with a renowned landscape painter grandfather, he developed a passion for art early on. After living in Germany and working at the Berlin Museum, he focused on painting, influenced by Klee, Miró, Kandinsky, and Fred Williams. Weitnauer has held 62 solo exhibitions and received several prestigious awards. His critically acclaimed work is held in collections across Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and beyond.
Stuart, born in 1968 and raised in Tasmania, holds both a Bachelor and Master’s Degree. He works primarily in oils and acrylics, focusing on abstract land and seascapes, often on a larger scale with canvases over 3 to 6 feet. As one of Tasmania’s most recognized artists, his work has gained acclaim from the public and the arts community, earning several significant art prizes and commissions. His paintings reflect the diverse moods of Tasmania’s coastal plains and rugged interior, particularly the East and South West Coast, capturing the unique clarity of light on water and the warm hues of sand and soil.
Matthew Armstrong is a Tasmanian landscape artist based in Campbell Town, Tasmania. He has been exhibiting professionally since 2004 and currently showcases his work at Colville Gallery in Hobart. In 2009, he won the prestigious Glover Prize for Tasmanian Landscape. Armstrong’s art mainly deals with the landscape and reconciling the modern built environment with aesthetics and the possibility of narrative.
Katy Woodroffe is an Australian artist who lives and works in Hobart. Her work has been featured extensively in solo exhibitions both within Australia and overseas. Travel has been an important influence on her arts practice, and she has been awarded many international residencies, including Paris (twice), Greece, India and Spain.
A recurring theme in Katy’s recent work has been the historical implications of the early settlement of Tasmania. Katy’s work is held in major public collections as well as corporate, tertiary, and private collections within Australia and overseas.
Two-time winner of the prestigious Glover Art Prize, David Keeling is a master of Tasmanian landscape. Keeling’s work often depicts the view of a path or a backroad, brilliantly lit by angled light that strikes local vegetation, laying shadows of intrigue. A critically acclaimed Australian artist who has explored Tasmania’s brutal past and depicts the present landscape.
Keeling has achieved significant recognition for his work. His work is held in the National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of Victoria: Art Gallery of South Australia; Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery; Queen Victora and Art Gallery; Gipsland Regional Gallery, and the Artbank collection.
Megan Dick has held the position as Curator of the Glover Art Prize since 2017 and has been an Arts Industry Professional for over 20 years. Prior to returning to Tasmania in 2016, she was based in Sydney where she had her own commercial art gallery, worked in Arts Marketing and PR and leading commercial galleries. Megan has been on the HeadOn Photo Festival selection committee 2015 – 2019, is an Arts Tasmania Peer, Cultural and Creative Industries Expert, and is an arts advisor on collection development.
Christopher Edwards is a retired plastic and reconstructive surgeon who sees sculpture very much as a continuation of his medical career. His designs are motivated by the search for an optimal aesthetic in human anatomy and he derives as much satisfaction from perfecting his technique as from his finished product.
Christopher is a self-taught sculptor. He has always had an interest in design aesthetics and has taken on woodwork, metalwork, painting, and sculpture. Medical and Plastic Surgery training has provided an extensive knowledge of human anatomy, proportion, and aesthetics.
Christopher’s work is held in many private collections both in Australia and Internationally. He has exhibited at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Annual Scientific Meeting and the International Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery meeting. He has given presentations on “Art & Plastic Surgery” to both the medical profession and art interest groups.
Several of Christopher Edwards’ sculptures are featured within The Henry Jones Art Hotel.
In 2011 Josh won The John Glover Prize which was then the richest landscape prize in Australia. Winning this award at the age of 27 Josh remains the youngest person to achieve this. Anthony Bond OAM, speaking in 2011, then Curator of International Art at the Art Gallery of New South Wales and head judge of the Glover prize 2011, said of Josh’s work; it’s “…talking about the whole history of the conventions of western painting.”
After graduating with a Bachelor of Contemporary Art (Hons) from the University of Tasmania, Josh has exhibited extensively throughout Australia and has received prestigious awards, grants and residencies. His work is held in many public and private collections throughout Australia, notably, in the collection of the Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery, Macquarie Bank, ArtBank & University of Tasmania.
Josh’s 2011 Glover Prize winner, Gee’s Lookout, is currently exhibited at The Henry Jones Art Hotel.
As the Curator and Registrar of the University of Tasmania’s Fine Art Collection, Rachael Rose manages a collection of approximately 3,000 works across the university’s campuses.
Rachael’s practice as a printmaker sees her explore the spiritual and emotive dynamics of gardens as spaces of both freedom and confinement. She has exhibited in many group shows, and most recently was a finalist in the Burnie Print Prize 2019.
Several of Rachael’s works are featured within The Henry Jones Art Hotel.
Nigel Hewitt has practised as a professional artist for over 40 years with his work held in many esteemed collections, such as that of the Art Gallery of Western Australia, Artbank and Curtin University. Notably in Tasmania, Hewitt was the winner of the 2015 Glover Prize and was nominated as the winner of both the Packer’s and People’s choice awards in the 2019 Hadley’s Art Prize. His fine detailed work is expertly executed with the application of ash from burnt forest floors, and reveals Hewitt’s extraordinary ability, to resurrect threatened Tasmanian landscapes while amplifying fragility amidst complex resilience. Hewitt has also practised as a teacher of art in high school and tertiary settings and undertaken arts residencies in Italy, Ireland and WA.
The Henry Jones Art Hotel is proud to feature Nigel’s 2015 Glover Prize winning work Woven in Landscape Restaurant.
Unfortunately, David Keeling had to retire from participating in the judging this year, and we look forward to his return for future prizes. We are fortunate to have one of our previous judges Nigel Hewitt step into Keeling’s role for the 2021 Henry Jones Art Prize
Dr Brigita Ozolins has played an integral role in the nurturing and development of Tasmanian artists both through her work to establish the Moonah Arts Centre, and as a Senior Lecturer in Fine Art at the University of Tasmania’s School of Creative Arts and Media.
Brigita has also somehow found the time to develop and exhibit her multimedia installations in dozens of solo and group exhibitions, and festivals, within Tasmania and beyond as well as undertaking residencies across Europe, North America, and Tasmania.
As the Registrar and Keeper of the University of Tasmania’s Fine Art Collection, Rachael Rose manages and curates a collection of approximately 3,000 works across the university’s campuses.
Rachael’s practice as a printmaker sees her explore the spiritual, sensory, contemplative, and emotive dynamics of gardens as spaces of both freedom and confinement. She has exhibited in many group shows, and most recently was a finalist in the Burnie Print Prize 2019.
Several of Rachael’s works are featured within The Henry Jones Art Hotel.
Now in its second year, The Henry Jones Art Prize has once again assembled a judging panel of the highest calibre to recognise and commend the talents of Tasmania’s most exciting emerging artists. We are delighted to introduce to the panel, eminent curator, W. Nevin Hurst; artist and educator, Dr Sue Lovegrove; and 2015 Glover Prize winner, Nigel Hewitt. Each judge brings with them a diverse range of experience, expertise and perspective, and each shares an understanding of what it is to strive to become an established artist in Tasmania. We very much look forward to seeing their shortlist of exhibition when it is announced on the 25th October.
Nigel Hewitt is a senior visual artist based in Hobart, Tasmania and Perth, Western Australia. Hewitt’s artworks are most frequently mixed media on canvas, with subjects ranging from contemporary environmental and political issues to the personal and ambiguous notions of identity and existence.
Nigel’s artistic career has developed strongly and consistently since his graduation from Claremont School for Fine Arts in 1977. Exploring and shaping the world of his imagination through his chosen medium, he has exhibited extensively in solo and group shows, nationally and internationally.
Nigel has been awarded several residencies both within Australia and beyond, has been widely published, has been chosen for numerous private and corporate commissions, and has received a host of local and national art awards throughout his career. His works are represented in international collections such as the Art Gallery of Western Australia, Curtin University, Edith Cowan University, Artbank, Kerry Stokes Collection, BankWest, Wesfarmers, Holmes a Court Collection, and The Stein Collection, to name a few.
Sue Lovegrove is an established Tasmanian artist and arts educator. Working across a range of media in both painting and work on paper, she explores ideas around notions of transience and the invisible phenomena of the natural world through sensory perceptions of sight, sound and touch.
Sue completed a PhD at ANU School of Art in 2002 and has exhibited extensively across Australia since 1992. Her work can be found in numerous private and public collections including the National Gallery of Australia, Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, National Gallery of Victoria, Parliament House Art Collection, University of Canberra, and the Holmes a Court Collection.
She has received many awards including an Australian Antarctic Division Arts Fellowship, and has undertaken extended residencies in remote and isolated places including Antarctica, Macquarie Island, Maatsuyker Island and Tasman Island. Most recently she received an Australia Council grant with Tasmanian writer Adrienne Eberhard to produce and publish an artist’s book, The Voice of Water.
Sue Lovegrove in front of her artwork Convergence. Image courtesy of the artist.
With over forty years’ experience in the industry, W. Nevin Hurst is recognised as Tasmania’s most experienced fine art valuer.
Since opening Masterpiece Fine Art Gallery in 1975, Nevin has formed a close relationship with major dealers and auctioneers throughout Australia and overseas having handled many notable works of Australian fine art, such as pieces by Sidney Nolan, Arthur Streeton, Frederick McCubbin, Charles Conder, Tom Roberts, and John Glover.
Nevin has staged numerous solo exhibitions of his own work, initially at Hibiscus Gallery in Hobart, followed by Anima Gallery in Adelaide, Connely French Galleries in Evandale, The Terrace Gallery in Sydney, and Masterpiece Fine Art Gallery in Hobart. Nevin also makes a significant academic contribution, having been published in a number of scholarly publications.
W. Nevin Hurst in his Gallery. Image by Jeremy Pemberton.
Miss Julia Farrell
Executive Director of Federal Group and is a member of the
Board of Trustees of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.
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Lindsay Broughton
Tasmanian artist Lindsay Broughton has over 40 years of experience as an art teacher, lecturer and practicing artist. He was head of the Drawing department at the Tasmanian School or Art, between 1986 and 2006. Lindsay is known for his large-scale drawings and frottage. These imposing works explore the surface and history of place and objects and the traces that are embedded within his subjects depicting often-contentious objects.
Lindsay’s work is held within the collections of Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery, Hobart; Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) Hobart; Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery, Launceston; University of Tasmania, Hobart; Henry Jones Art Hotel, Hobart; and numerous private collections.
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Dr. Jane Quon
Jane is a multimedia installation artist who has regularly exhibited major works internationally in gallery and non-gallery public settings, as well as nationally and locally. Her particular interest is synergies between Art and Science.
Jane was the recipient of an Australian Research Council Grant for her PhD research in communicating, through multimedia and sound installation projects, issues pertaining to Marine Ecology. Her Postdoctoral Research focused on visually communicating social justice issues of women in industry with her Partner, the World Fish Center.
We are very excited to announce our section panel for the prize this year! Dr Megan Walch, Luke Wagner and Jamin have come aboard to ensure our finest emerging Tasmanian artists are represented at the inaugural Henry Jones exhibition in November. Being established Tasmanian artists themselves; all three artists have an acute understanding of what it is to be an emerging artist in Tasmania. They bring with them a wealth of knowledge and unique perspective to contemporary art in this beautiful state that we call home! We are so lucky to have them and look forward to seeing their shortlist for exhibition.
Megan is a successful artist both academically and commercially. Her painting and drawing practice spans over 25 years, with a focus on the tension between figuration and abstraction. Meg is a Samstag Scholar, an alumnus of the San Fancisco Art Institute, the Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture and the Space Program, New York. She has taught at the Victorian College of the Arts, Monash University, The Australian National University’s School of art and the School of Creative Arts, UTAS – gaining a studio-based Doctorate of Philosophy there in 2017. Meg’s artworks have been in numerous exhibitions and her research interests have developed through undertaking international residencies. Her work is held in contemporary art collections including; Artbank, Monterey Museum and Art Gallery, California, USA, Parliament House Collection, Canberra. Meg also is a generous teacher, finding time to mentor other artists, be it through the University of Tasmania’s School of Creative Arts or at her own studio.
Luke Wagner is a self-taught painter with an interest in Tasmanian Landscapes and social history. Having spent many years running his own fine art framing business, Luke yearned to fill the frames with his own creations, so he picked up a book and taught himself how to paint. Armed with oil paints, beeswax and a pallet knife, Luke intuitively crafts dreamlike scenes of Tasmanian landscapes layered with sentiment. He has been successfully exhibiting locally and nationally since 1994, with many artworks being included in well regarded public and private collections. Luke’s art has also been a finalist in numerous prestigious prizes such as Hadley’s Art Prize, Tattersall’s Art Prize, Mosman, Lloyd Rees and the Glover Art Prize. Luke has insight into the local Hobart art scene through his framing business Wagner Framemakers which he started in 1987 and is also a sponsor of The Henry Jones Art Prize People’s choice this year.
Jamin is a hero of our local street art scene, creating amazing artworks for all to enjoy. Known for his challenging contemporary approaches to visual art, Jamin combines the street styles of stencil, aerosol and graffiti methodologies with experimental approaches to develop works. His work has been acclaimed through awards, commissions and international residencies, and he retains his commitment to grass-roots community levels of working, where he has worked regularly as a mentor for a cross-section of youth and others interested in extending their interest in street culture. Jamin has been selected for the inaugural 2018BOAA (Biennale of Australian Art) in Ballarat, and in 2008 was selected for Contemporary Australia: Optimismat the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) in Brisbane. Jamin is a PhD candidate at the Tasmanian School of Creative Arts, University of Tasmania, where his thesis explores connections between camouflage, the non-human and assemblage theory.