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With titles ranging from Milly – Resilience (Turner’s Beach), Gazza (Scottsdale) and A Boy and his Dog (New Town), to Distant Through Psychological Barriers (Launceston), mediums have included pastels, oil on canvas, charcoal on canvas, acrylic and ink pen.

Entrants have been asked to do a portrait of a Tasmanian who has provided an inspiration in their life. Each artist is required to include a written submission on why the subject provided personal inspiration.

When entries closed recently, organisers were delighted with the response, which compared with 43 entries in last year’s inaugural prize.

The winners will be announced on September 4 in Devonport. The overall winner will receive $5,000 and a trip for two to the Archibald Prize exhibition in Sydney. The runner up and Sponsors' Choice will receive $500 and this year a People’s Choice award of $500 is being introduced.

Entries from young Tasmanian artists aged 30 and under have come from all over the State, and are almost evenly matched between the south and the north.

Intriguing titles for this year’s prize include:
Self Portrait as a Tasmanian (entry from Garden Island Sands)
Budge, Sugar, Sex, Magic (entry from Devonport)
Todd, in focus (entry from South Launceston)
Still Life with Passionate Teenager (entry from Montrose)
Wisdom vs the Barbs of Monotony (entry from Hobart)

“We were surprised at the interest shown in our first year and decided to continue the prize this year as an annual event,” said Trent Sayers, Chief Executive of RACT Insurance. “The level of entries this year has surpassed our expectations, and we’re delighted that young Tasmanian artists are responding so enthusiastically to what is a unique, and uniquely Tasmanian, art competition.”

“The RACT Insurance Tasmanian Youth Portraiture Prize is designed to build a body of portraiture art in Tasmania for generations to come. It also provides Tasmanians with the chance to recognise that there are many heroes in every community. Most importantly, it provides an important platform for emerging artists aged 30 years and younger to showcase their talents by painting a living Tasmanian.”

The RACT Insurance Tasmanian Youth Portraiture Prize is believed to be the only such competition in Australia.

The judging panel comprises Adriane Boag of the National Gallery of Australia, Helene Weeding of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery and Kim Schneiders of Interweave Arts, Launceston.

This year, a People’s Choice award will give members of the public viewing the exhibition in Devonport, Launceston and Hobart an opportunity to vote for their personal favourite.

The RACT Insurance Tasmanian Youth Portraiture Prize is a partnership between RACT Insurance, Clemenger Tasmania, Geon and Tasmanian Regional Arts.