Bonny Hills Progress Association committee members are meeting to decide whether the recent Bonny Hills Art Prize exhibition will become a permanent annual fixture in the Camden Haven.
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The event was presented by the association and open to artists on the Mid North Coast from Port Stephens to Coffs Harbour. It was exhibited at the Francis Retreat in Bonny Hills until January 10 this year.
More than 47 of the total 100 works of art were sold after the exhibition, while more than $29,000 was raised from sale proceeds for local artists and the community.
Bonny Hills Progress Association president Roger Barlow said funding from the sale of artworks at the exhibition goes back to the artists with a percentage taken by the association to pay bills and for community projects.
"We averaged about 80 visitors a day for the exhibition during the week. It's certainly good for an exhibition and everyone who attended seemed pretty pleased with it," Mr Barlow said.
"The biggest surprise was just how much support and enthusiasm for the exhibition from residents and the people who came to look at the artworks.
"We have had a terrific amount of feedback telling us to continue and the business community was very supportive.
"If we decide to go ahead with this on an ongoing basis, which hasn't been decided on yet, as a progress association we need to think about how we can sustain the effort involved in the exhibition.
"There was a lot of work done by relatively few people and we need to spread that over more people and time. We'd need to confirm the venue and manage the exhibition in a way that won't wear us down long term."
More than $3000 was raised through a community raffle run in parallel alongside the exhibition, according to Mr Barlow.
"We also ran a community raffle in parallel which raised about $3000. Around $500 was also allocated by the Mayor Peta Pinson which means we have enough money to buy a defibrillator for the hall," he said.
"We have 42 bookings a month from groups using the hall and having a defibrillator in that area is of high need.
"It's a great addition because a defibrillator needs to be available within five minutes I'm told, they really need to be available and able to get to the person in that time."
Robert Dougherty
Port Macquarie News/Camden Haven Courier journalist. Have a story to share? contact me at rob.dougherty@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Port Macquarie News/Camden Haven Courier journalist. Have a story to share? contact me at rob.dougherty@austcommunitymedia.com.au
