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The 2001 Archibald Prize
Announcement of Winners
Friday 16 March at 12 noon (media only)



Always Australia�s most extraordinary art event, the Archibald Prize, now in its 80th year, is one of Australia�s oldest and most prestigious art awards. Combined with the Wynne, Sulman and Dobell Prizes, lively debate and controversy is almost always assured.

The winners of all four prizes will be announced to the media only on Friday 16 March at 12 noon.

With the financial support of the Colonial Foundation Charitable Trust, the winner of the Archibald Prize receives $35,000, the Wynne Prize for landscape painting $15,000, and the Sulman Prize for subject/genre painting and/or mural work $10,000. The winner of the Dobell Prize for Drawing receives $10,000, presented by the Sir William Dobell Art Foundation.

ENTRIES: Monday 5 to Friday 9 March between 8am and 4pm each day
Entries for all prizes will be received at the Art Gallery of New South between 8am and 4pm from Monday 5 to Friday 9 March.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF ARTISTS SHORTLISTED FOR ALL PRIZES, AND THE PACKING ROOM PRIZE: Wednesday 14 March at 12 noon (media only)
The names of artists selected for the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes, and the Dobell Prize for Drawing will be announced to the media only on Wednesday 14 March at 12 noon. The names will be advertised nationally on Thursday 15 March.

At the same time the Packing Room Prize will be announced. This highly coveted prize of $500 is awarded by the burly blokes behind the scenes who receive, unpack and hang all the entries. First awarded in 1991, the Packing Room Prize continues to be adjudicated by the Gallery�s ever witty and perceptive Storeman, Steve Peters.

The 2000 Packing Room Prize was won by Bill Leak for Are You With Me? (Portrait of Sir Les Patterson).

ANNOUNCEMENT OF WINNERS: Friday 16 March at 12 noon (media only)
The winners of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes and the winner of the Dobell Prize for Drawing will be announced to the media on Friday 16 March at 12 noon.

The exhibition will be on view to the public from Saturday 17 March to Sunday 13 May.

PEOPLE�S CHOICE: Thursday 26 April at 12 noon
Since 1988 the public has had the opportunity to vote for their favourite portrait in the Archibald exhibition. This year the winner of the �People�s Choice� will be announced on Thursday 26 April at 12 noon. Both the artist and the selected voter will each be presented with $2,500.

The 2000 People�s Choice was won by Esther Erlich for her portrait of Bill Leak � Never Been Better.

The Colonial Foundation Charitable Trust
The Colonial Foundation Charitable Trust was established in 1999 to perpetuate the charitable objectives of the mutual life insurance company (and its successors) whose name it shares. It is delighted to provide financial support for the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes consistent with its objectives of improving community quality of life through the arts and cultural activities. The trustee is Colonial Foundation Limited � an independent corporate trustee.

The Archibald Prize
Jules Francois Archibald�s primary aim, through his bequest of 1919, was to foster portraiture, as well as support artists, and perpetuate the memory of great Australians. Amongst many controversies, these original aims have certainly been fulfilled and indeed many believe the Archibald Prize has done more than any other single event to stimulate and sustain public interest in the art of portrait painting in Australia.

The Archibald Prize was first awarded in 1921, and over the years some of Australia�s prominent artists have won, including George Lambert (1927), William Dobell (1943) and Brett Whiteley (1976). The subjects of Archibald winners have been equally celebrated in their fields and include �Banjo� Patterson, Margaret Olley, Patrick White and Paul Keating.

The 2000 Archibald Prize was won by Adam Cullen for Portrait of David Wenham.

The Archibald Prize is judged by the Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

The Wynne Prize
In the terms of the bequest of the late Richard Wynne of Mount Wilson who died in 1895, the Wynne Prize is awarded to what the judges consider to be the best landscape painting of Australian scenery in oils or watercolours, or for the best example of figure sculpture by an Australian artist.

The Wynne Prize was first awarded in 1897 in honour of the official opening of the Art Gallery of New South Wales at its present site.

Many winning paintings have become icons in Australian landscape painting, entering the collections of public art museums: Hans Heysen�s watercolour Summer, a consummate masterpiece of 1909, and Russell Drysdale�s classic Sofala of 1947 were both purchased for the collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. In 1982 Lloyd Rees�s Morning on the Derwentwas purchased for Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.

The winner of the 2000 Wynne Prize was John Dahlsen for Thong Totems.

The Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales judge the Wynne Prize.


The Sulman Prize
The Sulman Prize is awarded for the best subject painting, genre painting or mural project by an Australian artist. Established within the terms of the late Sir John Sulman�s bequest, it was first awarded in 1936. In 1991 Kevin Connor�s painting Najaf (Iraq)won the prize and this painting was purchased by the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

The winner of the 2000 Sulman Prize was John Peart for Snailsnake.

The judge of the 2001 Sulman Prize is Wendy Sharpe.

The Dobell Prize for Drawing
To coincide with the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes, the Art Gallery of New South Wales hosts the Dobell Prize for Drawing, now in its 9th year. Sponsored by the Sir William Dobell Art Foundation, the Prize was initiated in order to encourage excellence in drawing and draughtsmanship.

The winner of the Dobell Prize receives $10,000, and the winning work is automatically acquired for the Art Gallery�s collection.

The winner of the 2000 Dobell Prize for Drawing was Nick Mourtzakis for Untitled Study.

The judge for the 2001 Dobell Prize for Drawing is Margaret Olley.


Winners of all four prizes will be announced to the media only
on Friday 16 March 2001 at 12 noon



Touring Dates
The NSW Regional Tour of the Archibald Prize is managed by the Museums and Galleries Foundation of New South Wales (telephone (02) 9358 1760.

Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery
15 June to 15 July 2001

Tamworth City Gallery
27 July to 2 September 2001

Bega Valley Regional Gallery
14 September to 12 October 2001

Wagga Wagga Regional Art Gallery
19 October to 2 December 2001

George Adams Gallery, Victorian Arts Centre
7 December to 3 February 2002



On view:Saturday 17 March to Sunday 13 May 2001
Art Gallery of New South Wales
Art Gallery Rd, The Domain, Sydney
Australia
Telephone:(02) 9225 1744 or recorded information (02) 9225 1790
Hours:7 days a week 10am to 5pm
(closed Easter Friday and Christmas Day)
Admission:$8 adults $5 concessions/students/members
Media Information and Interviews:Jan Batten, Press Office
Telephone (612) 9233 1213
Mobile 0418 279 348
Email janb@ag.nsw.gov.au