Recently Jo Canham, Director of Blarney
Books and Art in Port Fairy, invited me to be a guest judge of their 6th Biblio Art Awards, along with local artist Essie Warmuth.
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| The announcement of the Grand Prize. From left: judges Essie Warmuth and yours truly, with Dean and Jo from Blarney Books and Art |
This year’s Biblio was launched last Saturday evening to a packed gallery.
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| Avril Makula, What Katy Did, 2014, artist book |
The prize winning entry, What Katy Did, an artist book by Avril Makula, is playful, knowing,
elegant, aesthetically and technically assured. It also ticks all the boxes in
relation to Biblio’s brief, particularly in the manner its methods and
materials are integral to the story, in this case a spirited re-telling of the hoary old novel by Susan Coolidge.
Avril’s altered book cheekily restores Katy’s independent “Tomboy” spirit that
during the course of the original cautionary tale is cruelly - indeed,
sadistically - wrested from her.
The other award winners were Polyanna Guthrie
(Youth Award); Helen Fitzhardinge (Blarney Books and Art Storytellers Award); Anne-Maree
Hunter (3D award – sponsored by Bluestone Magazine). Nine-year-old
twins Tom and Darcy Lynch also received an encouragement award
for their entry.
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| From right, Essie Warmuth, my fellow Biblio judge with her partner Susan and my partner Shane Jones |
Working with fellow judge, Essie was an
absolute pleasure. Jo and Dean of Blarney books were generous, thoughtful hosts,
who we really enjoyed getting to know during the course of the weekend.
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| It was a delight to see some familiar faces. From left: Jazmina Cininas, David Frazer and Fiona |
For more about the winning works visit
Blarney Books and Art HERE.
For a detailed account of the Award Night,
read the article in Bluestone Magazine HERE.
