A NEW art prize with a focus on eucalypts will be a feature event at this year’s Loddon Valley Arts Trail in October.
The Eucalyptus Distillery Museum in Inglewood will host an exhibition of paintings on the theme of the eucalypt. 
The feature show will have total prizemoney of $5000 including awards for best in show a people’s choice accolade.
Top prize will come with a $2000 cheque as the event showcases and celebrate the eucalypt in Inglewood’s unique Eucalypt Distillery Museum.
“The Eucy Museum has been part of the Loddon Valley Arts Trail for a couple of years now and it’s a great place for an arts exhibition, so this year, we’re ready to invite artists from all over our region to take part in a show that’s dedicated to eucalypt paintings,” said museum committee secretary Murray Baud. 
“From blossoms to barks, even maybe our own blue mallee gums, we’re looking forward to seeing how people respond to the theme.
“We’ve already had a terrific response from businesses offering to provide financial support.”
Loddon Valley Arts Trail will run from October 3 to 5 in venues across the shire.
Co-ordinator Rosemary Sorensen said: “Eucalypt paintings are so important in Australian art. In the Loddon shire we have this unique Eucy Museum, so it made perfect sense to team up with them for this exhibition,” she said. 
Mr Baud said: “We’ll be opening artwork registrations from Wednesday 2 July. So, it’s now over to the artists, to show us and all the visitors to Loddon Valley Arts Trail what they can create using the eucalypt theme.”
 

INGLEWOOD artist Janette Nixon is already preparing for the Eucalyptus Dist