2008 Boonah SPAR Arts Festival Judges

Meet the 2008 SPAR Arts Festival judges who this year combine immense artistic talent and expertise as arts practitioners.

Scenic Rim Art Awards
Pauline Garner, is the Exhibition Curator for the Ipswich Art Gallery. Pauline has worked with the Gallery for the past six years and is responsible for implementing the Exhibition Program and managing the Ipswich Art Gallery Collection. She is an Honours graduate of the University of Sydney, Master of Teaching and Museum studies program. She has held positions within the visual arts education sector and has worked on numerous art projects in Brisbane.

Paddock Sculptures Agricultural Art Trail
Well-known award-winning local sculptor, Paul Stumkat works in stone, steel and bronze. He brings 24 years of experience to judge this year’s Paddock Sculptures. Working with stone and with cultivated skills in taxidermy, Paul is familiar with preparing and exhibiting organic sculptures.

Many of Paul’s works are featured in the public domain, both in city and rural western shires, so he is aware of the pressure of presenting a public work of art. Paul is currently working as a museum consultant for the Richmond Fossil Museum.

Steve Lyngcoln’s strong affiliation with the natural and cultural values of the scenic rim regional area stems from both living and working in the area for the past five years. As Community Partnerships Manager with the SEQ Catchments, Steve is involved in many programs that support the region’s rural communities, ranging from sustainable grazing to native forest management.

Through working closely with landholders and community groups, Steve appreciates the strength and resourcefulness of those living in the scenic rim area. Although a self-proclaimed non-artist, Steve understands what’s organic and looks forward to judging works that have essentially come from the landscape.

Calico on the Catwalk
Bronwyn Davies is currently the Arts and Cultural Coordinator for the Scenic Rim Regional Council. Bronwyn is also an artist, and founder of the Tamborine Mountain Artists Alliance. She has lectured in art studies at Griffith University, and coordinated many community arts projects.

Cindy Parker has had numerous exhibitions, including the Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville. Cindy has also coordinated many community arts projects and workshops. Cindy is renowned for using recycled ephemera in her work. Her exhibition ‘Adorn Me’ which was recently at Reverse Garbage West End focused on funky fashions using society’s discards.

Compere Janet Findlay graduated from the New Zealand Drama School in the 1970's and worked for many years in NZ professional theatre - including theatre in education and community ensembles as both a performer and writer. Once in Australia, she began to work in interactive theatre in South East Queensland. Today, her impersonation of Queen Elizabeth takes her to celebrations around the state and recently, to the USA.

David Evans Awards for Fiction
Gold Coast crime writer Chris Nyst wrote the screenplay for the successful movie “Gettin’ Square” (starring David Wenham) and three novels, including Crook as Rookwood which shared the Ned Kelly Award for best Australian crime novel of the year in 2006. Independent feature film “Crooked Business”, written and directed by Chris will be released in October.

Ross Clark acclaimed poet and ex-Boonah High English teacher has published six volumes of poetry and two chapbooks of haiku, and performed his work in eastern Australia and overseas. Ross has recently won the Australian Book Review Poem of the Year, and has collected a Johnno Award from the Queensland Writers Centre, as well as a Centenary of Federation Medal from the Australian Government for his contributions to poetry.

Hilary Beaton has amassed a wealth of experience from her roles as author, playwright, journalist, columnist, editor, radio presenter, theatre director, production manager, arts advisor and administrator, literary and theatrical policy advisor as well as Director of the Queensland Writers Centre from 1997 - 2004. Locally Hilary is known in her roles as the 2006 Boonah Arts Collective Chair, writer-in-residence, and recipient of the 2007 Australia Day Cultural Award for dedication to the advancement of the arts. Hilary is currently the Director/CEO of Downstage - NZ's longest running professional theatre.

Una Daniels is a lifelong lover of poetry who, as a secondary school teacher of English always included various forms of poetry in lessons aimed to develop student enjoyment of reading and personal writing. Retired and marginalized as old folk are in our society, it gave Una great pleasure to be asked to participate as a judge in the David Evans Awards for Fiction.

Bronwyn Hollett has worked in education for many years. She has been a primary school teacher, a teacher of children with special needs, and currently works as a Guidance Officer in the Boonah area. She has a passionate interest in early literacy and believes that literacy is essential for achieving most goals in life. Bronwyn has lived most of her adult life in the Ipswich area but moved to Boonah early in 2007. She loves the sense of community in Boonah and delights in the way that children and adults work together to make the annual Arts Festival such a success.

Sacha Stevens loves to read more than doing anything else in life. She worked with young children for twenty seven years and is thrilled to be involved in the fiction awards judging the young children’s stories. She has been an enthusiastic reader all her life and looks forward each year to the ‘surprise’ literary Christmas present from her husband.

Lynette Chataway has a Masters of Philosophy in Creative Writing from the University of Queensland. She also has a degree in History and English and has recently completed a post graduate diploma in secondary teaching. "Noble Sindhu Horses", her first novel, was published in 2005. It is an attempt to understand the reverse culture shock that she and her husband, Rob, experienced when they returned to Australia after two years living and working in Northern Thailand.

Lynette's second novel "Flightless Birds" will be completed early next year. She divides her time between reading, writing, teaching and caring for her children.

Blue-Kat Roar Music Awards
Christine Leah is a classical percussionist and pianist, with a special talent for the Concert Marimba which she loves as much as her Grand Piano.

She was educated in the UK at one of the Royal Schools of Music, and headed her first Music Department at the age of 21. She has had a successful career at both public and private schools in UK and Hong Kong. Since coming to Zengarra she has founded two choirs as well as concentrating more on performance.

Melanie Doheny is the principal viola for the Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra, Doburslon Ensemble and Corda Spirita Chamber Orchestra. With a long history of orchestral achievements, she is also vice president and marketing manager of the Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra.

Melanie also produces and performs in the Spring Bach to Boonah Chamber Concert.

Loch Easton, bassist for many rock, pop, blues and jazz bands, has also performed with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. He performs regularly, and has extremely diverse tastes in music.