An enthusiastic crowd gathered in the heat at Chapman & Bailey Gallery last night to hear the announcement of the winner of the Belle Art Prize selected by this years’ judges, acclaimed artists Sally Smart and Rosslynd Piggot.

With 277 works hung in a massive salon hang (a single long wall hangs 170 works!) the Belle Arti Prize exhibition is a vast installation of 35 x 35cm artworks.

The winner of The Belle Arti Prize 2012 was Canberra artist Marie Hagerty for her work “Focus”. 

Marie is represented by Karen Woodbury in Melbourne, and Tim Olsen in Sydney.

This is the second time that Marie has won the Belle Arti Prize (she was also a winner in 2011).

Every artwork received for the Belle Arti Prize is hung for exhibition: from local urban artists, to the remote aboriginal artists of Tjungu Palya , the works truly come from all corners of the country. The only criteria being to use a 35 x 35 cm Belle Arti Linen canvas in any way the artist can imagine.

Commended artists 2012 were: Mateja Simenko, Stephanie Turner, Gary Walker, Savina Hopkins, Kirra Jamison, Paul Hodges, Lynne Boyd, Greg Fullerton, Chris Dyson, and Eliza Cameron.

The exhibition runs until January 26 2013.

The Gallery will be closed between December 24 to January 7 2013.