ARTIST WINS BIG WITH FOUR SMALL WORKS

A GEELONG artist has won Australia’s largest small-scale art award, beating more than 700 national and international entries to land the $20,000 prize.

Janne Kearney took home the 2020 Lethbridge 20000 Art Award last month.

Ms Kearney and her family watched the awards announcement live online, with the win coming as a “bit of a shock”.

“We paused the video before they announced the first prize, we did a bit of a drum roll, and then they said it was me — I couldn’t believe it,” Ms Kearney said.

“The kids were screaming and jumping up and down.”

Ms Kearney’s winning work features four small connecting canvases, each taking a month to complete.

She said the piece depicts fear, powerlessness, withdrawal and secrecy, with the Time’s Up and Me Too movements inspiring her work.

“It’s important to keep the message alive in order to create real change in some men’s attitudes towards women,” Ms Kearney said. “We must empower young girls and vulnerable people to speak up.”

Ms Kearney said Brett Lethbridge, who began the art competition in 2010, had made a “lasting change” to many artists’ lives, including hers.

“Awards like this are so important to artists at all stages of their careers — the support, validation and funding it provides is invaluable,” she said.

Ms Kearney has been a finalist in more than 80 prestigious international and national art prizes, exhibiting in Italy, Spain, the US and the UK.

She donated part of her $20,000 prize money to charity, with plans to put the rest towards an arts study tour.