A PORTARLINGTON artist’s painting of a tugboat dwarfed by a ship has won a national award for raising the profile of seafarers worldwide.
Judges of the Mission to Seafarers Maritime Arts Awards and Exhibition acknowledged Jane Powers with their premier 2014 award as well as a $15,000 prize for her oil-on-canvas David and Goliath.
Ms Flowers, a land and seascape painter for move 20 years, was a previous finalist in the awards and won its people’s choice category in 2009.
“Container ships ply our supply routes but become incapacitated behemoths at destination,” she said.
“Time for the plucky tugs with their no-nonsense push-pull attitude.”
Mission to Seafarers Victoria chief executive officer Andrew Fleming said entries to the awards explored the “relationship between humanity and the sea”.
The entries also sought to convey the importance of the mission organisation, which manages the welfare of merchant sailors and other seafarers in Australian ports.
The organisation has a facility in Geelong at North Shore, near the city’s docks.
Mission to Seafarers said the art awards exhibition was a major fundraiser for the organisation and also helped raise awareness of its work.
Images of the entries of winners and finalists are available at missiontoseaferers.com.au.
The exhibition is open midday to 7pm Wednesday to Sunday until 31 October at 717 Flinders St, Docklands.
