Foodspace has a new blueprint for up-and-coming artists

A new public art exhibition program, titled Blueprint, is launching at the café to showcase young and emerging talent from our region.

Artspace Mackay director Tracey Heathwood said not only would the exhibition provide the young artists with excellent exposure in a high foot traffic area, there was also a sizeable exhibition payment on offer.

“The selected artists will be paid $1000 to allow us to exhibit five of their works for a three-month period,” Ms Heathwood said.

“Every quarter we will feature a new artist, with artists chosen based on their response to the criteria and theme,” she said.

“We are looking for original and creative responses to the theme “blueprint” that take inspiration from something original, based in science or just inspired by the colour blue.

A blueprint refers to something original or a prototype.

Works can be created through any medium but must be uploaded digitally. Applications for the next three-month exhibition period close March 23, 2023.

Submissions must include five A1-sized digital prints of original work by the artist that were completed in the 24 months prior to the entry closing date.

Mayor Greg Williamson said the Artspace Mackay team were doing some amazing work fostering emerging artistic talent in our region.

“Blueprint is another tremendous initiative that will promote and showcase a diverse range of young and emerging visual artists from the Mackay region,” Mayor Williamson said.

“Through this and various other Artspace Mackay programs and bursaries, artists have a lot of exciting opportunities to boost their careers on a local level,” he said.

The full application criteria and an online submission form can be found at artspacemackay.com.au/blueprint

On show now: Menagerie of the Criminally Insane by Muddy Grimes (Matthew Izard)

Muddy Grimes is a tattoo artist who moved to Mackay in 2012. He started his creative journey plastering paste-ups in the Gold Coast. Menagerie of the Criminally Insane feature Grimes’ fantastical and vibrant animal characters, which can also be seen in in Mackay’s award-winning 5th Lane, Mackay City Centre.

In the exhibition, Grimes showcases a small part of the original sketch he used to build upon while also showing the end results. The sketch being the “blueprint”. Each piece is torn to give a peek at what the original intention was while showcasing the final product.

Image: The Menagerie of the Criminally Insane by Muddy Grimes on show in the Blueprint Gallery at Foodspace Mackay.  (Image credit: Jim Cullen).