Earlier this year, Mrs. Beryl Whiteley, Brett Whiteley's mother, generously made funds available to establish the Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship to encourage excellence in painting and to provide young Australian artist with the same opportunities offered to her son. The winner of the Scholarship receives $25,000 and a three month residence at a studio in Paris, administered by the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Alice Byrne has recently completed a Bachelor of Visual Arts, majoring in Painting, at the National Art School in East Sydney. Previously she completed a Bachelor of Arts at Sydney University, majoring in Fine Arts.

On winning the inaugural Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship, Alice Byrne said: "This is an amazing award to have been given, I'm blown away. To be able to paint in Paris and study all of the art there is the most wonderful gift. It's a great honour that this is Brett Whiteley's prize."

Applications we invited from artists 20 to 30 years of age, citizens of Australia for at least a 2 years duration.

A total of 191 applications was received from every state and territory in Australia. From these the judges, Edmund Capon, Director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, artist Wendy Sharpe, and Barry Pearce, Head Curator of Australian Art at the Art Gallery, selected 18 finalists.

Judges' comments:
"The judges were unanimous in awarding this inaugural scholarship to Alice Byrne. She was one of the several strong contenders who the judges felt would benefit greatly from a period in Europe, and particularly based in Paris with its museums and rich history of practicing artists. Both her paintings and drawings showed a strength founded in tradition, but richly enlivened by an earthy contemporary urban and dynamic flavour."

The finalists' works will be on view at the brett Whiteley Studio until Sunday 10 october 1999.

Brett Whiteley Studio
2 Raper Street, Surry Hills
Tel 9225 1744

Open Saturday and Sunday only 10am to 4 pm