Art News

With the commencement of Term 2, Western Australian primary school students were invited to take part in the Therapy Focus 2016 Art Competition by creating artworks illustrating the pages of a charity storybook entitled 'Outback Jack's Great Race'.

This year's story has been written by Krystal Cotterill, a young aboriginal woman from the remote town of Leonora, and is inspired by the 2016 National Children's Book Week theme, "Australia". The narrative features characters that have a range of disabilities and encourages readers to celebrate the unique talents and abilities of every individual.

The Year 4 and 5 artists have been busy creating ideas to depict their chosen page of the story 'Outback Jack's Great Race'. The final A3 landscape artwork was completed using a variety of mediums that included; watercolour paint, pencils, coloured pencil, pen and crayon. All student artworks have been submitted for entry into the competition. I look forward to hearing which lucky artists have the opportunity to display their final artworks for online voting and an opportunity for a prized place in the published storybook.

100 finalist artworks will be selected from entries and go on display at Westfield Carousel, Whitford City and Innaloo shopping centres in the July school holidays. The community will then be invited to help select winning artworks to feature as the illustrations in the published storybook by voting online.

A book launch function held during National Children's Book Week in August will see the 2016 storybook officially unveiled and celebrate the outstanding achievement of the winning students. The winning students will also be awarded with prize packs courtesy of the sponsors, a framed copy of their original artwork and a copy of 'Outback Jack's Great Race'.

Therapy Focus is a non-for-profit organisation and has grown to become one of Western Australia's largest disability service providers, delivering quality services to more than 2,500 children and adults with a range of disabilities.

I wish the best of luck to all of the Year 4 and 5 young artists.

Ms Jane Roche

Junior Art Specialist