14 | Mid-Western Living SPRING 2025 Wilpinjong support strengthens regional art scene Some people think that mining and art are strange bedfellows, but Mudgee’s Michelle Steven doesn’t see it that way. Michelle recently won the Peabody Wilpinjong Prize for Hanging Art at Dunedoo’s Art Unlimited exhibition, and is grateful for the support the mining industry offers the arts in Mudgee region. For Michelle, and many other artists and creatives, Wilpinjong’s funding does more than provide funding support for prizes. It fuels an ecosystem where galleries, workshops and publications can thrive. “It’s lovely that our region has something like this,” she said. “Wilpinjong sponsors art, music, local businesses and fundraising events – it all adds to our creative little town.” Michelle arrived in Mudgee in 2012 and quickly wove herself into the town’s artistic fabric. “I went to TheMudFactory to meet like-minded people and ended up teaching after school art and creative workshops with the late Toni Behrens,” she recalls. “I also worked in the local art store with Toni and her husband. Now I run classes from my own studio and work on my own practice.” Trained in oil painting but now devoted to charcoal, Michelle builds still-life compositions that echo the region’s landscape and light. Year after year she entered Art Unlimited’s hanging art competition, buoyed by Wilpinjong’s promise of meaningful exposure. Last year she won, and then she won again this year. “You never quite expect to win. You just enter these things and hope for the best,” Michelle said, still astonished by her back-to-back victories. Each win came with a $3,000 cash prize and the honour of the win, that she proudly adds to her bio. She invested her winnings in much- appreciated supplies. Beyond the gallery walls, the mine’s backing helps keep art classes running, magazines free and regional talent in the spotlight. Now, with her workshops fully booked, Michelle is shifting her focus back to her own body of work. She’s preparing for a new exhibition, hopeful that continued support from Wilpinjong and the broader community will help bring her next charcoal series to life. All of her current pieces are available online, at Loft Mudgee or The Book Nest, ready to hang in homes inspired by the very landscapes and people Wilpinjong helps sustain. jobs and ~200 roles for specialist contractors in wages to local employees Direct economic contribution to NSW of NSW coal generated power supply 570 $96M $569M 25% Wilpinjong Mine’s contributions to the community Scan the QR code to visit our website
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