Local artists have just a few weeks left to register for the 2016 South Australian Living Artists
(SALA) Festival, with exhibition registrations closing Monday, May 16.
And there are plenty of interesting venues still looking for artists to exhibit with them during the
month-long August event, including the RiAUS Science Exchange, the Festival Centre plaza
hoarding, the ABC, Lyndoch Lavender Farm and iconic River Torrens tourist boat Popeye.
This year older artists are being especially encouraged to get involved, with a new $2000 cash
prize for artists aged 60 and over sponsored by Unley Council.
New for the festival in 2016, the City of Unley Active Aging Award not only celebrates the
achievements of older artists, but also commemorates the 10th anniversary of the council’s
involvement with SALA.
To be judged by acclaimed artist Tom Gleghorn, and open to artists aged 60 and over from across
the state, the prize consists of $2,000 cash and a dedicated exhibition space in the Unley council
area for SALA 2017.
Unley Mayor Lachlan Clyne said the new award not only encourages and recognises older artists,
but highlights the council’s commitment to promoting and supporting an active approach to aging.
“The SALA Festival has been one of the major programs on the City of Unley’s cultural calendar for
10 years,” Mayor Clyne said.
“Recognising, supporting and rewarding our older artists is important, and the new Active Aging
Award highlights the role that council plays, offering opportunities for our older residents to
express themselves and be engaged with a vibrant, active and creative community.”
With a little over three months to go until SALA officially opens on August 1, the countdown is on
for the state’s largest and most popular open-access visual arts festival, now in its 19th year.
Last year’s SALA Festival was the event’s biggest ever, with more than 5200 artists presenting their
works in more than 600 free exhibitions across Adelaide and regions. SALA Festival Director
Penny Griggs said she was keen to develop the festival even further in 2016.
“Whether you’re a professional artist or someone who just creates art for the love of it, whether
you’re an artist who’s been working for decades or if you only picked up a paint brush for the first
time last week, there’s room for everybody in the SALA program,” Ms Griggs said.
Exhibition registrations are open to artists of all types, backgrounds and experience levels, with
the only requirement being they must be a current resident of South Australia. Registering is quick
and easy with SALA’s new online form; just go to www.salafestival.com and click the “Register
Today” button. Artists can provide their own venue, or choose one from the list of available
venues at www.salafestival.com/venues
Ms Griggs said being a part of SALA provided many advantages for both emerging and established
artists.
“SALA is a particularly good launching pad for emerging artists to exhibit outside of their training
institution for the very first time, and established gallery spaces always make an annual
commitment to showcasing South Australian artists during the event,” she said.
“Locals and visitors come out in force to meet and engage with local visual artists – it is a great
time for artists to showcase their work and connect with new audiences.”
One of the most beloved events on South Australia’s arts calendar, the SALA Festival is an
innovative, open-access visual arts festival celebrating and promoting the diverse talents of South
Australian Living Artists.
Encompassing all forms of visual art from painting, sculpture and jewellery to video and
multimedia and much more, the festival presents the works of thousands of established and
emerging artists through unique collaborations and exhibitions in hundreds of spaces throughout
metropolitan and regional South Australia every August.
Some of Australia’s most exciting and dynamic artists, both established and emerging, are
represented in this year’s program, due to be released in early July.
For more information about the SALA Festival, go to www.salafestival.com
2016 SALA FESTIVAL EXHIBITION REGISTRATIONS CLOSE MAY 16
Artists can register online at www.salafestival.com
See a list of available exhibition venues at www.salafestival.com/venues
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