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About the Artist "An authentic human being has the ability to make a profound impact on the imagination and wellbeing of others. Use your gifts wisely." Ali ©1999. Australian artist, Alison Jane Rice, was born in Sydney with Balmoral as her early childhood playground. Her unbridled sense of play planted the fertile seeds for an independent aesthetic, clearly evident in her exhibition work and children's books. At 19 years of age, she founded Auro-Ali Imports which included a non profit component to assist in village education and the building of a village well near Pondicherry, India. The business sold in 1983. In 1989, her nine year non profit EARTHBOOK Project began. It contained Earthlore: a national poetry competition urging youth to write about solutions for world peace. In 1994, Alison was awarded a World Health Organization Healthy Cities Award for contributions to Youth, Arts & Environment. During this time, the artist gained her Bachelor and Masters degrees in Creative Arts from the University of Wollongong (1995) and slowly began to develop her ALIGHT program. A year later, her art performance event celebrating indigenous culture was held in Yiribana in the Art Gallery of New South Wales during Multicultural Week. In 1999, The ALIGHT Journal was published by Alison and launched at the New Children's Hospital Westmead; proceeds benefiting its Adolescent Medicine Unit. Along with Peter Garrett's foreword to the book, the artist was inundated with inspiration from around the world. Including uplifting letters and contributions from Edmund Capon, Peter Gabriel, Diana Princess of Wales, Giorgio Armani, Robin Williams, Mandawuy Yunupingu, Desmond Tutu, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Sir David Attenborough, and His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Between 1990 and 2006, Alison freelanced as an arts journalist, ran ALIGHT (Arts Learning Inspiring Growth Healing & Tolerance) and was contracted by the Government's Landcare & Environment Action program as a Communications Trainer responsible for literacy & arts development for challenged youth. In 2008, after committing to a gruelling schedule developing her own visual arts practice, Alison began exhibiting her artwork in galleries around Australia. Award nominations followed with the artist gaining international recognition and overseas representation in New York. Exhibitions and current works in progress are the result of Alison's experiences in the US, Europe, Asia and the wilderness regions of Australia. Inspired by natural beauty and ancient cultures, her intuitive approach to life illuminates the path she still follows: "I conduct my arts practice in my studio bordering the Blue Mountains wilderness. Drawing and Painting assist me in my exploration of Who I Am and Who I Am Becoming." On 15th October 2011, Alison was announced the winner of the Blue Mountains Business Awards for Excellence in the ARTS category. In the same month, the NSW Business Chamber announced Botanical Theatre as a finalist in the BUSINESS for PEACE Award. This global award, founded by the Business for Peace Foundation, Oslo Norway, recognises outstanding people who have been able to achieve success whilst acting in an ethically responsible way. Since 1977, the artist has remained committed to her vision of “peace in our lifetime” and continues to highlight the importance of authentic arts initiatives worldwide. In April 2012, Alison commenced work on the fine art illustrations which will accompany her next children's picture book of verse, Arty Barty's Magic Paint Brush. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Approved Professional Membership and Industry Representation: - National Association of Visual Arts Art Gallery of New South Wales Australian Business Arts Foundation National Trust Australian Society of Authors Copyright Agency Limited Childrens Book Council of Australia NSW Business Chamber BIZNET Blue Mountains Friends of the Botanic Gardens Bowral District Art Society *NAVA Comprehensive Artist Public Liability Insurance cover © Copyright 2007 Botanical Theatre. All rights reserved. Content of this website may not be reproduced without full prior permission of the author. Additional photographic permissions and copyright may apply. Artwork not to be reproduced without artist permission. Homepage photo of Alison Jane Rice copyright Richard Rice 2011. BOTANICAL THEATRE Ò Trademark ABN 30 086 504 185.
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