Background
The Abel Tasman Art Prize for southern Tasmanian Year 11 and 12 students up to 20 years of age was established to celebrate the bond which exists between the Netherlands and Tasmania and, in particular, to foster the Sister-City relationship between Grootegast and Kingston. Abel Tasman was born in the Grootegast area.
This is an annual Art Prize, but held alternately in Tasmania and the Netherlands. The inaugural prize was held in Tasmania in 2000. The prize is a trip to the Netherlands, sponsored by the Kingborough and Grootegast municipalities. The winner's artwork will be acquired by the Kingborough Council.
The 17th Century was a golden age for The Netherlands recorded by the painters of that period. The Dutch were superb boat builders and seafarers. They established the Dutch East India Company in what is now Jakarta. The Company sent Abel Tasman to look for the 'South Land' and in 1642 be became the first European visitor to Tasmania.
The theme of the Art Prize is "Journeys". Tasman's epic voyage into the unknown is symbolic of the journeys ordinary folk may experience in their lifetime, be they physical or metaphorical.
