The official opening of the second iteration of the Ellen José Art Award for young women saw Clare Jaque Vasquez take out the $15,000 prize for her work Silent weapons for quiet conflicts, 2025.
Held in honour of Ellen José, a pioneering Indigenous artist, radical activist and social justice campaigner who lived in the Bayside suburb of Black Rock for over 25 years, the Award is a partnership between Bayside City Council and the Ellen José Memorial Foundation. The Award seeks to support young women artists at a pivotal moment of their careers, where many give up their dream of becoming a full-time artist.
Bayside Deputy Mayor, Cr Debbie Taylor-Haynes, spoke of the shared values between Council and the Award at the opening event.
'Here in Bayside, we're all about coming together and encouraging creativity in our community. Celebrating art helps us connect, spark new ideas, and build a brighter future for everyone. The Ellen José Art Award for young women encompasses these shared values,' said Cr Taylor-Haynes.
This year's Award was judged by esteemed curators Kelly Gellatly, independent curator and Chair of the Sheila Foundation, and Beckett Rozentals, head of Australian art at the NGV.
The judges commented on the mastery and powerful storytelling of the winning work.
'As judges we were both overwhelmed and moved by the mastery of Clare Jaque Vasquez's painting Silent weapons for quiet conflicts, 2025, which is representative of a body of work that the artist has been creating over the last few years. Jaque Vasquez has the ability to combine breathtaking technique and powerful storytelling in works that convey the importance of connection to family and Country in the face of colonial systems and oppression, and the quiet and insistent strength that this has required, across generations. To date, Jaque Vasquez's practice has been a tribute to matrilineal knowledge and power and to the lessons we can all learn by looking closely and listening.'
Co-founder of the Ellen José Memorial Foundation, and husband of the late Ellen José, Dr Joseph Toscano said the work of this year's finalists exude talent and creativity.
'The works on display show a dedicated commitment to craft and creativity. I encourage everyone to visit Bayside Gallery and experience the emotion and connection that these works exude,' said Dr Toscano.
The judges commented on the high-calibre and emotive power of the six finalists work.
'We would like to congratulate each of the six artists in the Ellen Jose Art Award - MeiMei Hodgkinson, Clare Jaque Vasquez, Casey Jeffrey, Jenna Lee, Amalia Lindo and Jacqui Shelton - and warmly thank them for making our deliberations and decision-making such a difficult, but enjoyable process. It is spirit-raising to experience both the technical capacity, conceptual strength, and sheer emotional power of the work of a group of such accomplished women artists at this relatively early stage of their careers. Their work is a gift for audiences, helping us reflect on the value of family and community, of lineage and history, and of the importance of caring for the fragile planet on which we live. We hope the shortlisted artists are buoyed by the significant recognition of this Award, and that it serves to encourage and sustain them as they continue their careers and experience the challenges and rewards of a creative life.'
The works of the six shortlisted finalists - MeiMei Hodgkinson, Clare Jaque Vasquez, Casey Jeffery, Jenna Lee, Amalia Lindo, and Jacqui Shelton, are on display at Bayside Gallery until Sunday 14 December.
