The exhibition was sponsored by the Marrickville Multifaith Roundtable and supported by Marrickville Council and the Blake Society’s Engage program. The Marrickville Multifaith Roundtable comprises local faith bodies from the Anglican, Catholic, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Uniting traditions. The Roundtable aims to create a space for dialogue and understanding in faith and culture.
The artists range from primary and secondary school children to adults and commendations were awarded in each category. The project was designed to provoke dialogue within the community about mutual understanding, respect, acceptance, diversity, values, beliefs and social justice. The judges, Sueanne Wallis (Blake Prize Board), Stella Ford (Marrickville Council Community Development Officer) and James Yeo (Spirit Life In Marrickville Committee member), made selections according to this criteria.
Three children from Year 2 at St Brigid’s Marrickville, Daniel Arriguetti, Benjamin Nguyen and Nikita Xenos, were awarded a commendation for their depiction of families, while other winning works included Spirit Trees by Mya Nguyen and Icon by Tuan Nguyen. Secondary students, Bree Sullivan (Beauty), Ariel Turgeman-Fabrizio (Green Planet) and Waqar Younas (Beliefs) received commendation in their sections.
In the open section the commendations went to Deborah Ruiz Wall for her photography and poetry called The Spirit of Country about Aboriginal reconciliation, Anna Beresford for Multicultural Rosary and Janey Kossy for Windows.
Marrickville Council supports the Roundtable and the Arts Project. The Blake Society, holder of the national art prize for religious/ spiritual art, the Blake Prize, included this project as part of the Blake Society’s Engage program to foster local community conversation around values and spirituality.
