Dates: Saturday, 26 August – Thursday, 28 September 2023
Times: 10:00am – 3:00pm, Tuesday – Sunday
Entry: FREE
Venue: CCC Waterfront Room
The John Dudley Portrait Prize annual exhibition celebrates the life of a great artist, past president and proud support of the arts.
John Burs Dudley, 1931 – 2018
John Dudley was born in Shanghai, China in 1931 and came to Australia as a refugee just prior to Pearl Harbour. He was educated in Melbourne and at Hong Kong University. He had at various times been a Naval Officer, Oriental Linguist and International Broadcaster with Radio Australia. John commenced serious study of painting in 1967 and spent six years as a student of Shirley Bourne who was an eminent portraitist.
John was gifted in a variety of mediums which included oil painting, acrylics, watercolour, printmaking, etching and sculpture. He has won many awards including first and second prizes at Camberwell Rotary and The A.M.E. Bale Watercolour Prize.
John is represented in Commonwealth, corporate, local government and private collections in Australia and overseas. He was a member of the prestigious Twenty Melbourne Painters group and was former President of the Ferntree Gully Arts Society and the Emerald Arts Society.
John, his wife June and their family moved to Emerald in 1989. It was shortly after their move that he became involved with the Emerald Arts Society and was elected president in 1992. He was to be president on and off throughout his time at the society and proved to be an inspirational and hardworking leader.
John was also a talented teacher, loved and admired by all he taught. John tutored in oil and mixed media classes at the society from 2006 until 2012.
John was a staunch supporter of the arts throughout his life both within the arts society and in the wider community. The Emerald Pave Festival, Gemco theatre and Secan were just a few of the groups and activities that he supported and promoted whenever he had the opportunity.
In 2018 John Dudley together with David Greenaway from Gemco were posthumous recipients of the Emerald Citizen of the Year award in recognition of their services to the community.
Artwork credit: Margarita Riaikkenen, Rozochka, Oils, 2023 (detail)
