Despard Gallery would like to congratulate Paul Snell, who has been announced as a finalist in the 2025 
Girra: Fraser Coast National Art Prize.
An initiative of the Hervey Bay Regional Gallery and Fraser Coast Regional Council, the Girra: Fraser Coast National Art Prize is a biannual acquisitive award with a first prize of $25,000. This Snell was named as one of only sixteen finalists, form over two hundred and fifty entries.
The prize asks artists to submit work in any medium, that uses contemporary practice to explore our close relationship with the environment. Entrants are encouraged to show how their work demonstrates a conceptual engagement and how people and place intersect with the environment. Snell’s work Flux # 202517 [chromogenic print mounted on plexiglas, polystyrene, concrete, acrylic, enamel & pigments 190 x 14 x 8 cm] contrasts a flawless surface of colour sitting atop of an extrusion of regolith, where the precision of its fabricated digital-based face is juxtaposed against the raw and organic. His work explores how we experience space and the manmade and natural elements shape our environment. Hervey Bay Regional Gallery Director Sarah Thomson says ‘Girra was borne out of the enduring social and cultural importance of the natural environment in the Fraser Coast region, encompassing land, sea and sky. Home of the Butchulla people, the region’s unique natural features include the world’s largest sand island K’Gari and its surrounding waters, recognised as the world’s first Whale Heritage Site.’
This year judges are Judy Watson, Michelle Newton and Sarah Thomson.
The finalists’ exhibition, held at the Hervey Bay Regional Gallery with the winner announced Saturday 23 August. The exhibition continues through until 16 November 2025.