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Member for Shepparton and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Jeanette Powell today congratulated Eva Ponting from Shepparton on being one of twenty artists shortlisted for prizes totalling more than $50,000 as part of the Victorian Government’s 2012 Victorian Indigenous Art Awards.

Announced this week by Premier and Minister for the Arts Ted Baillieu, the Victorian Indigenous Art Awards play an important role in celebrating and promoting the work of the State’s Indigenous artists and our unique Koorie culture.

Twenty-seven works were selected from 132 entries for this year’s awards, with local artist Eva Ponting shortlisted as a finalist for her work Turtle Spirit Dreaming.

Mrs Powell said this is a wonderful achievement by Ms Ponting.

“She is an exceptional local artist who only last November earned a six month Indigenous Visual Arts Residency at the Shepparton Arts Museum,” Mrs Powell said.

“I encourage people to view Ms Ponting’s work when it is exhibited at the Victorian Indigenous Art Awards 2012, Fortyfive Downstairs Gallery, Flinders Lane, Melbourne in March.”

Mr Baillieu said the shortlisted artists worked across a variety of mediums, from traditional painting and weaving techniques to photography, sculpture, video and street art.

“There are many voices and many generations of Indigenous artists in Victoria working to uphold traditions and to express their culture in new and distinct ways,” Mr Baillieu said.

The awards, which give prizes across five categories, are open to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists living in Victoria and, now in their seventh year, profile the diversity of Indigenous arts practice in Victoria and showcase the uniqueness of south-east Australian Aboriginal art.

This year’s finalists include both regional and metropolitan artists, past winners and several who have not been shortlisted before. Seven of the shortlisted artists have two artworks on the shortlist.

Details of the award categories are attached and for more information visit the Victorian Indigenous Art Awards blog: www.indigenousartawards.com.au