2020 Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Award (JADA)
The Gallery's flagship biennial art prize graciously sponsored by the Friends of Grafton Gallery.
Supported by The Friends of the Gallery, the JADA is Grafton Regional Gallery's flagship art prize. Established in 1988 the JADA celebrates drawing in all its splendour from hyper-realism that is beyond belief to the expressive and abstract, evoking the poetic and emotional response to the human condition and our environment. Many of the works question and challenge the notion of the traditional drawing; while others provide a contemporary perspective and reinvigorate those traditions.
The 2020 JADA received a record 659 entries from 521 artists throughout Australia with 56 finalists being selected for the exhibition and susequent tour.
The Gallery will launch the exhibition on Friday 2 October with special guest presenter Rove McManus, Gallery Direcor Niomi Sands and Judge, Peter McKay who will announce the winner of the $35,000 acquisitive prize. Peter is Curatorial Manager of Australian Art at Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art.
Visit: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/2020-jada-opening-event-tickets-119385482191 to book for this free event.
The exhibition will be on view in Prentice House until 22 November 2020 between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm daily, admission is by donation.
The 2020 JADA selection panel comprised of:
Brett Addlington - Director: Lismore Regional Gallery
Heather Brown - President: Friends of the Grafton Gallery and Gallery Advisory Committee member
Michael Zavros - Artist, winner and acquired artist of past JADA exhibitions
Niomi Sands - Director: Grafton Regional Gallery
Peter Wood - CEO: Arts Northern Rivers
Artists selected as finalists:
| Katka Adams | Tim Allen | Kim Anderson |
| Oliver Ashworth-Martin | Matt Baker | Marjan Bakhtiarikish |
| Penny Bennett | Cher Breeze | Darren Bryant |
| Jude Crawford | Michael Cusack | Jan Davis |
| Christine Druitt-Preston | Mark Dustin | Yvonne East |
| David Fairbairn | Philip Faulks | Matt Foley |
| Todd Fuller | Joanna Gambotto | Damian Gascoigne |
| Julianna Gosper | Jody Graham | Elizabeth Green |
| Alexander Hamilton | Beric Henderson | Dave Hickson |
| Debbie Hill | Catherine Hockey | Jim Howe |
| Julie Hutchings | Cedar Jeffs | Jennifer Keeler-Milne |
| Caroline Kennedy | Elena Kolotusha | James Iain McKellar |
| Noel McKenna | Robert Moore | Celia Morgan |
| Jule Nash | Kellie O'Dempsey | Catherine O'Donnell |
| William Platz | Lyn Raymer | Alessia Sakoff |
| Tim Spellman | Tulli Stevens | Hiromi Tango |
| Luke Thurgate | Sarah Tomasetti | Teo Treloar |
| Leonardo Uribe | Craig Waddell | Emma Walker |
| Christina Waterson | Christine Willcocks |
Image credit: Todd Fuller Ode to Clarence series - untitled 9 (detail), 2016/17, mixed media on paper. (winner 2018 JADA). Courtesy of the artist and MAYSPACE.
