Margaret Pearce was announced the 2015 Basil Sellers Midge Point Art Prize winner on Saturday at The Point Tavern, a Whitsundays community on the Repulse Bay mainland next to the Laguna Quays Resort.
The winning art entry was titled 'Trial Bay Gaol' - the general subject for the 2015 art prize was "Looking inside out'. The stroke work of the winning art work featuring each and every sandstone block was exceptional.
The judge from the Proserpine Art Association spent 90 minutes on Friday looking over the 16 high quality entries of which were deemed finalists and the winner the $1000 prize. Only titles and descriptions were available to the judge – no names.
This Basil Sellers Art Prize was established in 2013 two years after we had established the Basil Sellers Laguna Quays Respite cottage for missionaries and pastors.
It was a meaningful way to provide practical ministry to the local community and since then our ministry of Well-Being Australia has developed
- a business luncheon each May,
- the July art prize,
- the local on-line news (when the local hard copy closed up) a web site was developed by one of our young writers Josh Hinds. The same people that ran the hard copy now run the on-line version.
- And in November my wife Delma is establishing a High Tea for the ladies.
Margaret Pearce was a finalist in the 2014 Basil Sellers Art Prize and as artists were invited to enter a second painting, her second art work in 2015 'Sunbird at home' was deemed a finalist for display in The Point Tavern restaurant for four weeks.
Runner up was last year's winner Gina Passfield who also took third prize with her second art work, and fourth was the 2013 winner Jill Leipertz.
Will and Margaret Pearce
Will and Margaret Pearce reside in Midge Point directly adjacent to the respite cottage which backs onto the Laguna Quays Resort properties. They have another place in Calen 40 minutes south of Midge Point on the Bruce Highway towards Mackay.
It is in Calen Will and Margaret Pearce have helped mainstay the small Uniting Church, the closest Protestant congregation to Midge Point.
But their greatest service in ministry is that of their gifted handiwork in almost anything they put their hand too. They have helped various missions and Christian agencies in anything that needs constructing, fixing, repaired, building – and very resourceful.
Will purchased the old Anglican church building in Calen and pulled it apart timber by timber and reconstructed - a house, a work shop and an art studio. Margaret is very practical and I often find Delma and Margaret discussing craft and card making.
When we needed hand rails on the new stone front and rear steps, Will and Margaret came across to see what might be done. They not only did the hand rails both front and back, but painted yellow lines on all the sharp edges on the rear concrete patio and entertainment areas.
Journey of faith
Will and Margaret Pearce are the salt of the earth in following the Lord and ministering in any way possible to any mission or church agency calling for additional assistance.
When we visit – four times a year – tidying up, any maintenance, whatever it is, Will and Margaret make a bee-hive to us to offer their assistances. They constantly talk of the joy of the Lord's work and any endeavour through which they might serve.
It was therefore a most enjoyable experience to hear Margaret's name read out as the winner of the 2015 Basil Sellers Midge Point Art Prize.
Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html