West Australian media mogul Kerry Stokes last night received the top award for leadership and contribution in Australia's cultural and arts landscape.
West Australian media mogul Kerry Stokes last night received the top award for leadership and contribution in Australia's cultural and arts landscape.
Mr Stokes - who owns a private art collection comprising more than 8,000 items and helped found the National Gallery of Australia - was last night presented with the Richard Pratt Business Arts Leadership Award at a ceremony in Brisbane.
The annual award is one of the top honours presented by the Australian Business Arts Foundation and recognises those making an exceptional contribution to Australia's cultural life.
Mr Stokes has been closely involved in the National Gallery of Australia, including as a founder, perpetual benefactor and council member.
He has also served as chairman of the Art Gallery of Western Australia and Canberra Theatre Trust, and a director of Sydney Dance Company, and loans art within his private collection to exhibitions across Australia.
Business man Mr Stokes - who owns caterpillar franchise Westrac, a controlling stake in Channel 7 and through Channel 7 significant interest in West Australian Newspapers - was one of four WA-based business-arts partnerships to be recognised from total of 13 awards presented.
The other WA winners were: DADAA City of Swan and Midland Redevelopment Authority (Toyota Community Award); City of Swan and Midland Gate (Australia Council Young and Emerging Artist Award); and Michael Leslie Foundation for the Arts and Rio Tinto (QantasLink Regional Award).
The full announcement is below:
Kerry Stokes AC wins top business-arts honour
Businessman, arts supporter and art collector Kerry Stokes AC won a national leadership award at the Australia Business Arts Foundation (AbaF) Awards, presented in Brisbane on the evening of Thursday 15 October.
Mr Stokes won the Richard Pratt Business Arts Leadership Award, presented annually to a business leader who has made an exceptional contribution to Australia's cultural life.
Mr Stokes is a founder, perpetual benefactor and council member of the National Gallery of Australia. He was chairman of the gallery from 1996-2000, and has served as chairman of the Art Gallery of Western Australia, chairman of the Canberra Theatre Trust, and was a director of Sydney Dance Company.
He owns one of Australia's finest private art collections of more than 8,000 items, many of which have been loaned out for various exhibitions around the country, including the Museum of Sydney, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Heide Museum of Modern Art and TarraWarra Museum of Art.
Also at the AbaF Awards, three business-arts partnerships from Western Australia were among the national winners.
- DADAA (Disability in the Arts, Disadvantage in the Arts Australia) City of Swan and Midland Redevelopment Authority won the Toyota Community Award for their project which saw them helping people with disabilities tell their own stories through film, and connect with communities using the arts.
The judges said: "This is a wonderful project and I am thrilled to be able to congratulate a partnership that has taken on something tough and challenging. In two words: gutsy and inspiring!"
- City of Swan and Midland Gate won the Australia Council Young and Emerging Artist Award for the Hyper Series, a music festival and visual arts exhibition planned and implemented by a voluntary group of 25 young people, supported by Midland Gate Shopping Centre and City of Swan (WA). The Hyper Series builds skills, job opportunities and community networks to assist local young people.
The judges said: "What a fascinating and multi-layered project. It won our hearts over. The high level of engagement across so many different groups of kids was fantastic and the incredible amount of pride they derived from being responsible for producing their own work really speaks to the social outcomes possible through art."
- Michael Leslie Foundation for the Arts and Rio Tinto won the QantasLink Regional Award, for a partnership that brings artistic experiences and opportunities to children in the Pilbara. Thanks to a three-year partnership with Rio Tinto, the foundation is reaching 600 Pilbara children a week, exposing them to diverse art forms and activities, including acting, singing, dance and creative writing.
The judges said: "A fantastic project that is doing great things for kids in the Pilbara. Michael Leslie is bringing a great diversity of professional art to the kids living in remote areas. This is a visionary project that is all about young people and the future."
LIST OF WINNERS OF THE ABAF AWARDS 2009
- AbaF Partnership of the Year Award: Bangarra Dance Theatre and Boral Limited
- Richard Pratt Business Arts Leadership Award: Businessman and arts supporter Kerry Stokes AC
- Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Arts Business Leadership Award: Singer, artistic director and arts advocate Robyn Archer AO
- Goldman Sachs JBWere Philanthropy Leadership Award: Brisbane gallery owner and philanthropist Philip Bacon AM
- Bytecraft Entertainment Commitment Award: Company B Belvoir and Optus
- Marsh Partnering Award: Bangarra Dance Theatre and Boral Limited
- Toyota Community Award: DADAA (Disability in the Arts, Disadvantage in the Arts Australia) City of Swan and Midland Redevelopment Authority
- Australia Council Young and Emerging Artist Award: City of Swan and Midland Gate
- QantasLink Regional Award: Michael Leslie Foundation for the Arts and Rio Tinto
- AbaF SME Award: Bendigo Youth Choir and Bendigo Community Telco
- City of Brisbane Encouragement Award: Tasmanian Regional Arts and RACT Insurance
- AbaF Giving Award: Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra
- AbaF Business Volunteering Award: Gondwana Choirs and Brent Duffy, Maximus International.