Since 2012, the Orange Regional Gallery has been the custodian of the Kedumba Collection of Australian Drawings—which now includes over 230 works—and has been the venue for the annual Kedumba Drawing Award since it moved from the Blue Mountains to Orange in 2014.

Over the last few years, the gallery has frequently presented works from the Kedumba Collection in our exhibition programs as well as through our Arts and Health Partnership with Orange Health Service, bringing some of the best drawings in Australia to a wide audience.

This year 21 artists from across Australia were invited to submit a recent drawing. An eminent artist is invited each year to judge the award.

Their main guideline is “to enrich and enhance the collection”.

This year’s judge is Tim Allen who will decide which works will be acquired for the collection. He will announce his selection at the opening.

The gallery is looking forward to presenting a solo exhibition of Tim’s works in May.

He won the 2017 Paddington Art Prize and has been a finalist in most of Australia’s significant awards including the Wynne Prize, the Dobell Prize for Drawing, the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize.

Director of Kedumba, Marlene Plummer, who oversees the selection of the artists and curates the award has also curated a small exhibition, ‘Kedumba Connections’ for our upstairs gallery to coincide with the award.

This exhibition presents works by current Trustees of Kedumba and other patrons, acknowledging their contribution.

I’d like to thank Marlene and Jeffrey Plummer and the Kedumba Trustees, whose extraordinary dedication over so many years has resulted in this major award and collection.