Charles Darwin University will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of its namesake with a $20,000 sculpture competition and exhibition commemorating the life and work of Charles Darwin.
The Inaugural Charles Darwin University (CDU) Sculpture Award and Exhibition will form the basis of a biennial acquisitive award which will create a permanent Sculpture Park at the University.
CDU is inviting artists with a history of involvement in the visual arts to take inspiration from one of the world’s greatest thinkers and enter their submissions for the award.
CDU Vice-Chancellor Professor Helen Garnett said the Sculpture Park would provide a significant cultural resource to the community.
“It is envisaged that the Sculpture Park will link the University grounds with the local foreshore and be in keeping with the desire to be a University without Walls,” she said.
“The University vision is to be a thriving institution that dares to be different and takes advantage of its unique geography and demography to benefit the whole community through education, research and community engagement.”
CDU, in partnership with the Northern Territory Government and the City of Darwin, will participate in the world-wide bicentenary celebrations of Darwin’s life and legacy with a year long calendar of events.
These events, many of which will be linked with the Darwin celebrations in the United Kingdom and with international participation, will provide artists with significantly enhanced exposure.
General Manager, Curatorial Services at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Anthony Bond OAM, will act as principal judge for the final panel of three judges which will select the winner of the Charles Darwin Acquisitive Award from the selected finalists.
Entries must be received by Friday, 28 November with the winner to be announced on Tuesday, 22 September, 2009. The competition is open to all artists with a history of involvement in the visual arts for a period of not less than three years.
For more information on the competition, including full terms and conditions and important dates, visit www.cdu.edu.au/sculpturepark.