A large crowd turned out for the opening of the Portland Art Exhibition at the Crystal Theatre on March 3.
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The rain was not enough to deter art lovers, who were keen to see the record 435 works on display from a range of artists.
Organisers were impressed by the enthusiasm of local artists in participating in the Portland Art Prize, which was awarded on Friday night, March 3.
The section attracted works of such quality, guest judge Joe Penn said he had to return to them again and again to pick the winners.
“It’s just getting bigger and bigger,” he said.
“The works here… for a little town like Portland we can be so proud of what we’re doing. And we are just going to grow and grow and grow.”
The winner of the $650 first prize was Ship in a Bottle by Greg Hyde. The second prize went to Frank Hodges’ depiction of a red kelpie investigating the inside of a bottle.
“We had a look at it over and over again. I got down on my knees last night and really looked at it closely… It’s such a good, good drawing,” Mr Penn said of Hyde's work.
“You’ll see all sorts of things in it. It reminded me of Noah’s Ark in a bottle.”
Nicole Foxall’s work is showcased as part of the exhibition, which continues this weekend.
She hoped her work would strike a chord with visitors, who may recognise the shapes and colours of the region.
“What you will see is a little bit of a painting diary of what I’ve been up to over the last 12 months,” she said.
"I hope my paintings will remind people of where we live and uplift the room and the mood.
“The painting process makes me happy and I hope that comes across.”
Portland Art Society’s Sue Banning was thrilled with the turnout for the opening.
“I believe it is the biggest crowd we’ve had for an opening night,” she said.
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