**Disclaimer – the author may have a personal interest in promoting this program. Please take the following advice with a liberal dose of salt**
Right, let’s get this out of the way. This Sunday 9 May at 10am on ABC Radio National’s ‘Artworks’ program, art world luminary Amanda Smith is hosting a conversation about the vexed question of art prizes and the Australian art world. Essential listening.
The guests for the discussion are Jason Smith, now Director at Heide and former curator of contemporary art at the National Gallery of Victoria, and artist Sam Leach, whose Wynne win (heh heh) has been the focus of so much debate in recent weeks. Oh, and I was there too. It was a fascinating exchange, mediated by Amanda who asked some very thought-provoking questions. Jason and Sam had some very interesting things to say informed by their fairly unique perspectives. For my part, I think I managed to keep the brain farts to a minimum. One thing I have learnt – don’t drink coffee prior to a radio interview. The whole milk/phlegm thing doesn’t really work when attempting to project a mellifluous and authoritative tone of voice.
For those of you who are unable to listen to the program in real time (I know, I know – Sunday morning, Mothers’ Day sleep-in and all that) – the program should be available on a podcast via the ABC website next week. It’s also repeated on Monday at 1am for you insomniacs, and on Tuesday at 3pm.
