One particular artist is taking this chance to showcase her works after winning the paper works category last year.

Beth Flynn has been drawing for as long as she can remember, growing up surrounded by art. 

“My mother was a painter so it has always been in my life,” she said. 

Miss Flynn said that she first heard of the competition via social media and believed this competition has increased the awareness of art in the community. 

“Yeah, I think quite a few young artists haven’t been able to be a part of this community before,” she said. 

Meeting other artists in the Lithgow community has inspired Miss Flynn to continue pursuing her artistic dream. 

Currently studying at the National Art School, Miss Flynn hopes to continue creating art for as long as possible. 

Her preferred method is to draw in pen, something that isn’t too common in artists. 

“Coming home for the holidays means that hopefully I can get some more art done now,” she said. 

“I didn’t know what to expect but I really love it,” she said. 

“I think if I am making a difference then I am doing something right.” 

Another artist who will be entering the competition is Natasha Daniloff who is using her connection to Russia as her inspiration. 

“I’m taking family documents from when my family escaped Russia, and using ID photo papers and old documents from the Stalin period,” she said. 

The project is quite personal to Ms Daniloff who said it has a resounding connection to politics today, and is using the idea of bureaucracy merging with the personal. 

“Each small square will come together to create a larger ID photo from that period,” she said. 

“It’s a project that is meant to be portable, just like how my relatives would have their ID permits in Russia and they would hide them when they needed to.” 

The peice titled ‘So here we are” currently has 210 pieces, but originally had near to 400. 

“It has to work together tonally, and not all the documents did that, so I have chosen the ones that fit together,” she said. 

“Every piece is different, just like every person is different.” 

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Director Anna Carter hopes that this competition will open the conversation to those confused about contemporary art.

“This is a way to broaden the concept of what art is,” she said. 

Ms Carter hopes that hosting the event in Gang Gang Gallery will bring more people to see the works as it is on the Main Street. 

“We are getting visitors to do a note worthy award, where they write why they feel connected to certain peices,” she said. 

First prize will get a two week solo launch in the 2019 calendar where they can showcase their works, and runners up will get a six week mentoring program with Ms Carter herself. 

“It will be a way of helping the artist curate their own series of works and helping them to exhibit them,” she said. 

The exhibition will run until Monday, July 30.