Andrew Nikolic (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was honoured to represent the federal Minister for the Arts, Senator Fifield, at the 2016 Glover Prize last week. That is because the Glover Prize makes an important contribution not only to the arts but also to the regional economy of northern Tasmania. Every year, this prestigious prize recognises the very best contemporary landscape painting of Tasmania. The winner receives $40,000 and a bronze maquette of colonial artist John Glover, whose legacy is so deeply respected in Australia and around the world.

British born John Glover is widely recognised as the father of landscape art in Australia. The prize in his honour is now in its 13th year and is independently and fully funded to at least 2020. It is an acquisitive landscape art prize. The Glover Collection is now comprised of 13 pieces by 12 artists, and this eclectic collection remains in Tasmania and will eventually become a window to how the Tasmanian landscape has changed and is perceived by different artists in different generations.

Artists from around the world compete for this prestigious prize, with an exhibition held over the March long weekend in the iconic Falls Park pavilion in Evandale, a village on the beautiful northern plains of Tasmania. Works submitted must have been created in the previous 12 months and must depict an aspect of Tasmanian landscape.

Since its inception it is estimated that the Glover Prize has been responsible for creating close to 3,000 artworks and, at an average price of $9,000 over the life of the Glover Prize, $27 million worth of artworks have been created, producing income for artists across Australia.

The winner of the Glover is selected from 40 shortlisted works, and this year that shortlist was drawn from some 285 entries. The Glover Prize is so respected because the finalists are judged by an independent panel of three eminent judges and those judges change each year. I congratulate this year's panel of judges for their efforts. They are Maudie Palmer AO, Fiona Hall and Sean Kelly.

Not only was the 'house full' sign up at the Glover for the announcement of the winner at Evandale last week; but local cafes, restaurants, accommodation and other businesses all benefit from the Glover Prize. With extended hours we expect more than 10,000 visitors coming through the exhibition.

This year's winner was Hobart-based artist David Keeling, the first to win the Glover Prize twice, with his work Lowtide, Soft Breeze, which is an oil on canvas. I congratulate Andrew Heap, the Chairman of the John Glover Society; Patron Kenneth von Bibra; Julia Farrell from Federal Group; stalwarts of the prize like John Millwood, Jane Deeth, Stuart Hogarth, Mark Wells, James Abbott, Irina Petrovsky, Elizabeth Grubb, Sebastian Woof and Peter Woof; and the Rotary Club of Evandale for their outstanding support of this iconic event.