The President’s Medal has been the Society’s Award for outstanding work by members since its inception in 1999.
Our major exhibition for the year is used to determine the winner, as it’s an ideal opportunity to view a large collection of Members’ work in the one place.
Robert Carter, President of the Society from 2001-2016, rightly pointed out that with so many of Australia’s leading practitioners of Marine Art being members of ASMA it is a difficult task to select a winner. So Robert included another benchmark into the selection process, that of an unseen dedication to the subject or an acknowledgment of outstanding contribution to the workings of the society.
In her presentation of the President’s Medal during the launch of the 2020 National Exhibition at the Royal Art Society, President Karen Bloomfield said,
“This year’s recipient fulfilled all of the possible benchmarks.
His extraordinary dedication to portraying his marine subjects with a deftness of perspective and light is only enhanced by the clarity and vibrancy of his palette. He offers us a scene unencumbered by effort and delights us with detail and composition.
On his work alone, I had selected this year’s recipient but his efforts on behalf of the Society have made this selection particularly easy for me.
So for his works ‘Abbotsford Point Boatyard 1 & 2 and his drive and commitment to create the ASMA Promotional Video, it gives me enormous pleasure to award this years’ President’s Medal to Lawrie Walton.”