The highly accomplished and talented Sam Matthews is the 2020 recipient of DAB’s highest honour, the Peter Culley Award.

Voted by DAB tutors, the award is presented annually to the DAB member who has shown outstanding commitment and/or improvement during the year.

The award was created to honour the memory of Peter Culley, a founding tutor at DAB, who died in 2012. The extremely popular Culley taught many of the DAB artists and his infectious passion is still missed.

Affectionately known as “Moo”, Sam’s contributions to DAB span eight years when she first enrolled in a drawing class in 2012. She is a highly skilled potter who creates amazing hand-built clay pieces and is also accomplished at drawing and print-making.

“Sam initiated monthly mosaics workshops where she guided participants through a range of projects, then successfully applied for arts grants and led groups to create stunning mosaics artworks for community spaces. 

RELATED: 
- Celebrated artist Sam Matthews leaves her mark
- DAB’s quality work is on display

“The beautification of the toilet block in Rex Smeal Park with large-scale mosaics of ‘Things With Wings’ and ‘Life Amongst The Trees’ is one example of this type of project,” said Mandy White, a DAB committee member.

“Mosaics for Mossman” is Sam’s current project which involves working with the mosaics group to create insect-themed mosaics for planter boxes in Front Street, Mossman.

“Not content with just being creative in everything she does, Sam uses the business side of her brain in a key role with the DAB Finance Sub-Committee,” she said.

Visit DAB Gallery’s End-Of-Year Exhibition (14 November – 12 December) to see some of Sam’s latest work. The exhibition also showcases a wide variety of quality work that has been created by local artists during the year.

Art on display includes a fabulous range of acrylic and watercolour paintings, botanical paintings, urban sketches, pottery, glass work, jewellery and mosaics. 

DAB Gallery is open Monday to Saturday, 10 am - 2 pm and is located at 11 Mill Street Mossman, just opposite the library.

Douglas Arts Studio Gallery Inc. is a not-for-profit community arts centre which is aimed at teaching, promoting and encouraging the artistic development, appreciation and personal expression of people living in Mossman, Port Douglas and the Douglas Shire region, in Far North Queensland. It is known as DAB - Douglas Arts Base – its original name.

Previous winners of the Peter Culley Award:

2012 Sue Dennis
2013 Sue Dennis
2014 Rosemary Gotts
2015 Glenda Gordon
2016 Mandy Ryan
2017 Inger Rowe
2018 Sue Berthelsen
2019 Victoria Park