TV AND PHOTO OPPORTUNITY FANTASTICAL SHARKS & RAYS OPENS AT THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM

WHERE                  Australian Museum, 1 William Street, Sydney

WHEN                    Friday 6 September, 10am

WHO                       Artists - Ken Done, Blak Douglas, Sarah & Sebastian, Jennifer Turpin, Billy Bain, Dion Horstmans, Rosie Deacon and Dylan Mooney.

Australian Museum Director & CEO, Kim McKay AO, AMCS shark expert Dr Leonardo Guida

To raise awareness and help protect Australia’s unique lesser-known and endangered species, the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) and Humane Society International Australia ran a competition last summer asking budding da Vincis to create an artwork depicting one of 10 of them.

• The 10 young winners of the Fantastical Shark & Rays children's art competition will see their portrayals of Australia’s lesser-known and endangered sharks and rays reimagined by renowned artists including Done, Douglas, Sarah & Sebastian, Jennifer Turpin, Billy Bain, Janet Laurence, Dion Horstmans, Rosie Deacon, Dylan Mooney and Jonathan Zawada.
• Exhibition at the Australian Museum from 7 September (National Threatened Species Day) until 8 December, 2024.
• Over 1500 children entered the Fantastical Sharks and Rays art competition

The young winners are:

NSW:   Southern/eastern fiddler ray Leah Djikic, 11, Goulburn, NSW. Maugean skate Iluka Michel, 9, Sydney. NSW.

Yellowback stingaree Maya Haysom-McDowell, 10, Sydney, NSW.

QLD:     Eastern angelshark Gryff Nolan, 9, Brisbane. QLD. Greeneye spurdog Oliver McIntyre, 7, Sunshine Coast, QLD.  Greenback stingaree Arwen Brown, 10, Sunshine Coast, QLD.

NT:         Lined lanternshark Zara Pease, 13, Darwin, NT.

VIC:      Whitefin swellshark Inara Wilson, 4, Melbourne, VIC.

SA:       Longnose skate Eightrielle Escalona, 9, Adelaide, SA.

WA:      Melbourne skate Barnaby Snow, 10, Margaret River region, WA.                                                                                                                                             

Artists: Ken Done, Blak Douglas, Janet Laurence, Jennifer Turpin, Sarah and Sebastian, Billy Bain, Jonathan Zawada, Rosie Deacon, Dion Horstmans and Dylan Mooney 

For more information or interviews contact: AMCS media advisor Alex Tibbitts: alextibbitts@amcs.org.au / 0416 420 168

AM media advisor Claire Vince: Claire.vince@australian.museum / 0468 726 910
Visit AMCS to learn more about this fantastical competition.