The DOUG MORAN NATIONAL PORTRAIT PRIZE has announced Mary Scott to be amongst the final 36 entrants for 2006. This prize is Australia’s richest portrait prize worth AU$100,000.

Scott’s entry into the prize adds to her growing reputation. In the previous 12 months Scott has had a commercial show at Criterion, solo exhibitions at Linden Gallery, St Kilda, and Carnegie Gallery, Hobart, and had work acquired by the Devonport Regional Gallery and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.

Scott is preparing for her next show at Criterion in October 2007.

Good Girl 2005

Sara Hughes has a solo exhibition at Hazelhurst Regional Gallery in Sydney’s South from 22 July to 4 September 2006. It runs concurrently with Callum Morton’s Indian triennial piece.

Moving away from the very exacting discipline of her paintings and vinyl installations, The Big Stick Up makes use of the detritus of Hughes more usual practice. Large strips of roughly cut vinyl brightly colour the walls of the space and 9,000 small clear plastic pots, stained with acrylic paint from mixing colours, are upturned and stacked like towers or mountains. Looking a little closer, you notice that plastic toy soldiers dot this hyper real landscape, camouflaged themselves by Hughes striking palate.

Curated by Rhana Devenport. Devenport is currently Manager, Public & Education Programs with the Biennale of Sydney, and from September 2006 will take up the position of Director, Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth, Aoteatoa New Zealand.