The Kangaroo Island Easter Art Exhibition continues to build the reputation of this popular event. It attracts artists and audiences from the island and beyond, while maintaining a distinct local identity and growing its community engagement. Held every year since 2001, the exhibition provides open access opportunities to all the island’s creative community, including school children. It is a vehi
cle for emerging artists seeking to gain initial exposure and provides artists with the opportunity to publicly showcase their new and developmental work. Highly regarded visiting judges provide feedback and networking opportunities to artists who normally work in isolation away from mainstream arts bodies and support. When Kangaroo Island artist and identity Diana Keir died in 2019, the impact was felt throughout the island’s artistic community, including her friend, Alexandra McCarthy. Alex, who had known Diana since childhood, was devastated by the loss, and resolved to ensure that Diana’s artistic legacy lived on. Alex has established the Diana Keir Art Award, a biennial prize for the KI Easter Art Exhibition to honour and pay tribute to this lovely, lively and eccentric character who contributed so much to Kangaroo Island art. The prize will be funded by a corpus, under the auspices of Guildhouse, and award $10,000 every two years in perpetuity. Diana Keir award is doubling in value from 2021 to $10,000 in 2023. Alex McCarthy, the founder of the Diana Keir Foundation, wishes to honour
the memory of Diana by supporting her favourite art event.
