Public exhibition still in the frame for Brisbane Portrait Prize

After careful consideration, the organisers of this year’s Brisbane Portrait Prize have announced this year’s event is going ahead, with tentative plans in place for a public exhibition to take place at Brisbane Powerhouse in October.

Brisbane Portrait Prize director Anna Reynolds told InQueensland the prize’s board had a put a lot of scenario planning in place, and a virtual version of the exhibition was also an option.

“One of the important things about the Brisbane Portrait Prize is that it exists to support artists, and also to provide opportunities for people to engage with art, so it’s those two principles that are driving our decision-making,” she said.

“Given the entries are already open and artists are already working on artwork we wanted to keep going with it with the hope that we are able to have a final exhibition at the Brisbane Powerhouse in October.

“If we can’t, we’ll still proceed, and have the best online experience we can manage at the time but no one’s in a position to decide where that will go at this point. So, we just have to remain nimble and continue supporting artists and encouraging artists in a safe way to keep going with their work.”

“I think it’s really important for people to think there will be an end to [these social restrictions] and we need to think about what kind of a world we want when it does finish. And I think a world where the arts is still really important is a good world to be in. I think there’s a bit of a message of hope in that in some way and I would hope that that comes through.”

Head here to read the full article by InQueensland >> https://inqld.com.au/culture/2020/04/03/public-exhibition-still-in-the-frame-for-brisbane-portrait-prize/