Marie Ellis OAM Prize for Drawing 2019 - 10 years and the end of an era.

In August 2010, an unknown Brisbane artist, the late Gregg Greinke [pictured above] became the inaugural winner of the newly instituted Marie Ellis OAM Prize for Drawing. The prize was begun in memory of the late Marie Ellis and to encourage drawing as the formative mark making skill, by her nephew - Mr Jeff Hopkins-Weise and Jugglers Art Space Inc. The prize was founded out of conversations between Jeff, Randal Breen [ Jugglers Director] and Jugglers artists in residence Nic Plowman and Samuel Eyles, with the prize funded until 2018 by the Jeff Hopkins-Weise family. In the past 10 years, the prize has expanded to the point that we had entries from every state and territory in 2018/19 with winners from Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane. Marie was the long term owner of 101-103 Brunswick Street until her death in 2003 when Jugglers moved in and began the arts community it became so well known for. Marie was committed to the arts, having been awarded an OAM in honour of her work in Brisbane and the prize in her memory was a significant contributor in the rise of the Jugglers profile.

The winning work [ 2010 above] by Gregg Greinke and the last winning work [ 2019 below] by Sydney artist, Kaye Shumack, “Walking down to Railway Square from Central Station, Sydney.” Below - winners over the past 10 years - Carolyn McKenzie Craig, Peter Kozak, Mike Armstrong, Dennis McCart, William Platz, Clare Collins and Jeremy Eden. [ Not shown: Keith Burt - 2011]

The decision to make 2019 the last Marie Ellis OAM Prize for Drawing or MEPD -was one that was carefully considered by the Jugglers Board of Management, respected previous winners, arts academics, funding donors and the Hopkins-Weise family. We have assessed that the prize has been part of a growing return to drawing and expanded drawing modalities across Australia, that our contribution had been significant for its time and that owing to lack of resources it was a wise and good decision to end the prize with gratitude and celebration. The acquisitive winning works will remain as part of the Jugglers Art Space Inc collection with decisions re their placement and possible lease/loan for others' future enjoyment on the table by the board of management. To all who entered, won prizes and were part of the judging panels, the prize's administrators and the sponsors  - especially Jeff and Elspeth  - over the past 10 years, we thank you and wish you all the very best and we say: Keep drawing and mark making!

Peter Breen, Director, Jugglers Art Space Inc. 

December 11, 2019.