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Media release - Awards night for major national art competition today

The Commissioner

Lynelle Briggs
Lynelle Briggs is the Public Service Commissioner. She has held this position since November 2004.

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Issued 11 July 2007

Winners of Drawing Together a major national art competition exploring reconciliation will be announced at a gala awards night at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra tonight.

Winners were selected by a panel of judges comprised of Mr Ron Radford AM, Director of the National Gallery of Australia, Ms Betty Churcher former head of the National Gallery of Australia, Mr Bruce McLean Associate Indigenous Curator, Queensland Art Gallery and Ms Mandy Martin well known Australian artist.

Drawing Together awards $82,000.00 in prizes across seven award categories including a Major Award prize worth $40,000.00 and Indigenous and Youth awards with prizes of $10,000 each.

Drawing Together is an initiative of the Australian Public Service Commission in partnership with the National Archives of Australia, the National Museum of Australia and the Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs to commemorate the 40 th anniversary of the 1967 referendum and to promote the employment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Australian Public Service.

Ms Lynelle Briggs, Australian Public Service Commissioner said, ‘I am incredibly proud of how the Australian Public Service has supported Drawing Together. 23 Australian Public Service agencies actively contributed to Drawing Together through sponsorship and many, many other agencies showed their support in countless other ways. This is a great indicator of our commitment to demonstrating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people that the Australian Public Service is serious about Indigenous employment, and that it recognises the vital contribution Indigenous Australians make to our workplace.”

A media conference providing photo and interview opportunities with winning artists will be held on the morning of Thursday 12 July at:

National Archives of Australia, Queen Victoria Terrace, Parkes, ACT from 10-30 – 11.30

Over 570 entries were received from across Australia, including both Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists. The final judging panel choose the seven winners from a short-listed field of forty which will be exhibited at the National Archives of Australia until 26 July 2007.

Mr Ross Gibbs, Director – General of the National Archives of Australia said ‘The 38 competition artworks on display at the National Archives are from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists across the nation. They provide a moving insight into the commitment of so many Australian people to work towards Reconciliation on a personal level.’

Media Contact:

Kerri Russ
Better Practice Group
Australian Public Service Commission

(02) 6202 3582 / 0408 41 3667

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