CQU Creates 2021 competition attracts artists from all over Australia

Artists from across Australia are encouraged to submit for the 2021 CQU Creates Online Art Awards before the 16 July deadline.

Now in its eighth year' CQU Creates is open to current and past students and staff of CQUniversity and its antecedent institutions' including the CQ TAFE.

The competition was launched in 2014 to celebrate the accomplishments of the CQUniversity community and to encourage and inspire diverse contemporary art practice.

CQUniversity Art Collection Manager Sue Smith said 10 works have been submitted so far by artists from across the University's national footprint.

"We have received 10 so far' from Cairns' Mackay' Rockhampton' Bundaberg' New South Wales' and Melbourne'"

she said.

"The entries are diverse' including work from experienced and emerging artists. The styles and media include semi-abstract' conceptual and representational drawings' photographs' paintings and digital art."

She said the submissions had subjects ranging from Aboriginal Dreamtime stories and medieval legend' portraiture' cityscapes in Australia and Vietnam' landscapes' and animals.

Like last year' the Awards will be held virtually' with the winners announced online at 6pm on 3 September.

"Having the Awards online has certainly encouraged people living far away from the home campus in Rockhampton to enter' which is a good thing' but equally the touring exhibition has also been well received in the past'"

Sue said.

All prizes are non-acquisitive and the categories are the CQU Creates 2021 Art Award of $500' the CQU Creates 2021 Indigenous Art Award of $500' the CQU Creates 2021 Current Student Award of $500 and the CQU Creates 2021 Highly Commended Awards (up to eight prizes) of $250. An independent judge will be appointed by CQUniversity.

Visit the CQU Creates webpage for more information.