Pap Smear Awareness Week 18-25 February 2008
Pap Smear Awareness Week has been held annually until 2006 in Tasmania. The aim of Pap Smear Awareness Week is to raise awareness of the need for regular Pap Smears and increase screening participation rates amongst eligible women. The next Pap Smear Awareness Week for Tasmania will be held in February 2008. Cervical Cancer Screening participation rates have dropped off Australia-wide, including Tasmania. Pap Smear Awareness week aims to increase participation rates within Tasmania.
Judges
The judging panel will consist of three judges; Airlie Ward, Lindy Lou Bateman and Anne Mestitz. Below are some background details on each judge.
Airlie Ward has been the presenter on ABC television’s Stateline Tasmania since Judy Tierney left the ABC in 2003. Airlie undertook a cadetship with the ABC in 1997 and went on to report for both ABC radio and TV, focussing mainly on legal and court issues. She also presented radio and TV news. Airlie was born in Tasmania and studied Arts at the University of Tasmania. She says;
“I've always had a strong interest in women's health and particularly the prevalence of breast cancer. Two friends have lost their mothers to breast cancer and the cluster at the ABC's former Brisbane studios among women who are my peers has heightened my awareness. We all need art in our lives, from the art of well chosen words to creative food and more permanent "works" of art. These works are often showcased on ABC Stateline.”
Lindy Lou Bateman was curator at the Moorilla Museum of Antiquities for seven years and is now working on the Museum of Old and New Art project: building a museum of international standing at Moorilla in southern Tasmania. The museum will house antiquities from ancient cultures, a broad selection of contemporary European and Australian Art and a large collection Modern Australian artworks. This privately funded multi-million dollar project commenced early in 2006 and will be completed in October 2009. Referring to her current positions she says;
“My work is as varied as designing uniforms for Moorilla to purchasing artworks.”
Anne Mestitz is a visual artist and completed her Master 0f Fine Arts at the University of Tasmania, Centre for the Arts Hobart in February 2004. Anne is interested in pursuing research regarding visual perception and creating sculptural works that explore thoughts and feelings using colour, line and form. In 2008 Anne intends to commence a PhD at the University of Tasmania researching Reductive Abstraction and its current meaning and place within art practice today. For the last few years Anne has been working casually as a teacher in the Sculpture Department at the University of Tasmania and this year has been lecturing in the Drawing Department. Anne has had her first solo show of sculptural work at the Dick Bett Gallery in August.