The Pam Lofts Award for High Endeavour in Central Australian Contemporary Art.

ORIGINS

The Lofty Award was created in honour of Pamela Lofts, a strong contributor to the arts and culture of Central Australia for over 30 years. She was well-known as a visual artist and arts advocate, children's book illustrator of Mem Fox’s stories and one of the founding members of Watch This Space in 1993. As Dan Murphy, previous Chair of WTS, explains:

We acknowledge the brilliance of her work across all mediums and the passion and dedication through which she approached her practice. Pam had a way of gathering objects, ideas and inspiration from her environment and re-configuring these elements into often simple, yet very powerful works... Through the strength and diversity of her arts practice and her generosity of spirit, Pam has played a pivotal role in the creation of a vibrant, dynamic and supportive arts community in Central Australia.

ABOUT THE AWARD

The LOFTY award is unlike other art awards as it is awarded to an individual's contribution to community. It recognises and rewards those who play a role in the ‘ever evolving creative culture' of Central Australia.

Whilst the award is given to an individual, it is the broader community who ultimately benefits from the encouragement and mentoring of those involved in creative enterprises. This enables the broader community to be inspired and to participate in arts and culture in our region, as creative enterprises help to develop an inclusive, healthier and more vibrant place to live. The LOFTY award was set up to honour key contributors to the cultural and artistic life our region.