Pearl Beach artist wins reconciliation award

Pearl Beach artist Ms Marijke Greenway has won the non-indigenous award at the Reconciliation Exhibition, showing at Gosford Regional Gallery until July 17.

Her entry in this year's exhibition was a painting based on a photograph of Ms Shay Evans, a young girl from Borroloola, Northern Territory.

The photograph was taken by Ms Kate Geraghty, who gave Ms Greenway permission to use it for her painting.

Shay Evans, the work's subject, was introduced to soccer by the John Moriarty Football program at the age of nine and was included in a group of Indigenous children who attended the FIFA World Cup in Brazil in 2014.

From her beginnings playing soccer barefoot for fun, Shay is now enrolled at Westfield Sports High as part of an elite soccer program with potential of breaking into the international game down the track.

As the first graduate of the program she has inspired other children in her community to follow in her footsteps.

Media release, June 8, 2016

John Greenway, Pearl Beach