CAPO award recipient Amy McGregor receives her certificate in 2019. Photo: CAPO.
Making art is an important and beautiful thing to do, but unless you’re lucky enough to stride the national stage, you’ll need help.
Forty years ago in Canberra, a group of art lovers formed the Capital Arts Patrons Organisation (CAPO), seeking to support local artists, give them opportunities to spread their wings, kickstart their careers and recognise their work.
CAPO is still operating today, having disbursed almost $4 million in arts fellowships and awards funded by other Canberra art lovers, auction sales and donations.
CAPO now presents multiple prizes and fellowships, covering travel and performance, inclusion, emerging artists and outstanding practice awards. Last year, a new award was established in memory of the late Mandy Martin for an arts practitioner’s creative response to climate change and the environment.
The awards recognise various art forms, including but not limited to visual and performing arts, craft, photography and writing streams. The 2023 grants round will close on 24 September and you can find out more about entering here.
In recent years, CAPO has nurtured the likes of current fellowship holder Mariana del Castillo, who produced powerful work reflecting on the impact of the Black Summer and held a solo exhibition at Bundanon Gallery; 2021 fellowship winner Michael Sollis of the Griffin Ensemble; Juliet Moody of Sparrow Folk; and the Luminescence chamber singers.
In 2019 Marie Hagerty, whose work hung in the NGA’s powerful Know My Name exhibition, used her fellowship to fund an exhibition in New York with the Olsen Gruin Gallery.
Current president Penny Jurkiewiwcz and long-term member Marilyn Gray say CAPO makes the magic happen by approaching businesses in the Canberra region for auction items, or sponsorships. The organisation also approaches artists to donate a piece of work, or make in-kind donations for the annual gala auction, taking place this year in Albert Hall on 10 November.
Queanbeyan artist Mariana Del Castillo, winner of the 2022 CAPO Fellowship. Photo: Mariana del Castillo.
Awards funding can come from the arts community which rallied, for example, to initiate a prize in memory of Fink founder, the late Robert Foster. It’s now supported by sponsor TSA, which joins the likes of the Riverview group, Shaw and Partners, Capital Chemist and All Insure among others.
“The CAPO Fellowship is quite significant and eagerly sought after, we had 63 applicants last year alone,” Penny says.
“Nobody does what we do anywhere in Australia. We’re quite unique in that we’ve been able to achieve this longevity and ensure all of our money does stay in the region, it doesn’t go anywhere else.”
Marilyn says the awards can often be particularly valuable for emerging artists who are out of art school and in the first five years of their practice. An award offers practical help, often purchasing supplies, but also endorses the value of their work.
“It really gives them this great, emotive thing to really believe in their work. There are also not a lot of awards available for people in mid-career, so we offer quite a few of those plus the prestigious major fellowship.
“Often these awards have been able to move artists from one level of their career to the next. I think we all feel very proud when we look back at the long, long list of people who have received practical and emotional support through CAPO to achieve great things.
“One of our major sponsors who contributes thousands each year just shrugs and says shrouds don’t have pockets, so he’ll give money to the things he loves.”
The committee has 110 works and business items, to be sold by specialist Melbourne art auctioneer Andrew Gainer, for this year’s gala auction at Albert Hall.
The theme “paint the town red” is in line with the ruby anniversary celebrations. The gala will be attended by His Excellency the Governor General and Mrs Hurley. Tickets are available here.
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