Biennial Percivals Portrait Prizes are here!
Date published: 26 April 2018
Townsville City Council Galleries will host the biennial Percival Portrait Prize exhibitions from this week with over $50,000 in prize money on offer to the winners.
The first stage of the exhibition will open on Friday 27 April at the Perc Tucker Regional Gallery where the category of portrait painting winner will be announced.
The second category for portrait photography will then be exhibited at Pinnacles Gallery at the Riverway Arts Centre and the winner announced on 4 May.
Both exhibitions will run until July 15.
The Percivals first started in 2007 as North Queensland’s own portraiture exhibition.
It follows a history of exhibitions developed by the gallery and the tradition of incorporating the Gallery’s name “Perc” into the title.
Community and Cultural Development Committee Chair Councillor Colleen Doyle said the Percivals are always a highlight of the Galleries calendar.
“It’s always exciting to visit both Perc Tucker and Pinnacles during the Percivals, it’s amazing to see the different ways artists explore portraiture, both with paint and with a camera,” Cr Doyle said.
“Every time the Percival exhibitions come around I am astounded by the amount of talent on display and I just have to say good luck to all the finalists.
“There are so many incredible entries to both categories and I think it’s going to be difficult for the judges to decide on the winners.”
The winner of the portrait painting prize will walk away with $40,000 and the winner in the photographic portrait prize with $10,000 while a People’s Choice in both will receive a $1,000 prize.
Coinciding with the portrait prizes, the first floor of the Perc Tucker Regional Gallery will also feature entries for the Percival Animal Portrait Prize with the winner taking away $1,000 and the exhibition opening on 29 April.
