Armidale-based, contemporary landscape painter Isabelle Devos has been announced as the 2020 recipient of the Helen Dangar Memorial Art Bursary by Rachael Parsons, Director of NERAM.
The award, now in its fourth year, was established in memory of well-known Armidale arts supporter Helen Dangar (1944-2015) to celebrate her contribution to the region’s cultural life and to continue the generosity, passion and support towards the arts that was evident throughout Helen’s life. Each year the bursary supports a local artist from the New England region to participate in a professional or creative development activity that will assist the artist in developing their creative practice and to advance in their career path.
Isabelle Devos will receive a $2000 grant towards the cost of attending a four-day intensive masterclass with renowned landscape artist David Keeling at his studio in rural Tasmania. “This news has made my year!” said Isabelle. “I value the opportunity to travel to a place I am unfamiliar with and to learn from a landscape artist at the top of his career while in the company of other artists.”
Isabelle was born in Belgium and grew up in Canada where she studied photography and painting at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick. Isabelle moved to Australia about 16 years ago and now lives in Armidale. She is entranced by the landscape of New England and its intensity of colour, light and shadow.
“It has been wonderful to see the Helen Dangar Memorial Bursary support New England artists to engage in a broad range of creative development activities” said NERAM Director Rachael Parsons. “The quality of applications was very high again his year and I would like to congratulate Isabelle Devos for being the 2020 recipient.”
“The Helen Dangar Memorial Art Bursary gives me the very important gift of being able to attend a masterclass with the Tasmanian landscape painter, David Keeling. I am looking forward to this time of learning and growth, both as an artist and on other levels. What I gain from this workshop will most certainly impact my art practice and extend the ways in which I approach my art making. I am very grateful to the Dangar family for this Bursary.” said Isabelle.
NERAM would like to thank Bill Dangar, the Dangar Family, Friends of NERAM, Packsaddle and the many donors and supporters who have donated to establish and build the Bursary fund.
The New England Regional Art Museum will be next calling for applications for the bursary from artists across the entire New England region in August 2021.
