Every year the historic town of Cossack comes alive with artistic expression when the Cossack Art Awards are on show. The awards are a real highlight for people who like looking at art - and the visitor number of 2,800 suggests that there's quite a few of us up here!

The Acquisitive Art Awards, organized by the Shire of Roebourne, began in 1993 and has grown in recent years to now offer a total of $30,000 prize money. The prize list includes three major prizes of $5,000, three prizes of $2,500, one prize of $1,500, three of $1,000 and six prizes of $500 or less. Eight of the fifteen categories focus on the northwest; for either northwest subject matter or Pilbara artists.

Sponsorship of the awards comes from companies and organizations with key interests in the Pilbara. The prizes are provided by the Shire of Roebourne and major resource companies such as Hamersley Iron, Ragged Range Mining, Woodside Energy, Titan Resources, and Robe River Iron. For the first time, Mermaid Marine Australia Ltd sponsored an invited artists category with a $5,000 prize. Other sponsors include the Heritage Council of WA, the Pilbara Development Commission, ABC Radio north-west, the Shire of Ashburton, Ray White Karratha and two Karratha residents, Dr John Collis and Judie Pettit.

This year's exhibition of 179 entries covered the walls of the old Bond Store from top to bottom. Ninety-nine artists entered the Awards this year, twenty five percent of these were from the Pilbara.

The judge's choice of prize-winning artworks in any art award always generates discussion. This year's judge, Robert Juniper, selected a small mixed media work titled Japanese Pearl Diver's Grave, Broome by Adelaide artist Tom Gleghorn as the winner of the $5,000 major prize. Characterized by Japanese style elegance with a simple black design and muted colours, the work evokes an air of mystery and solemnity. It is clearly the work of an accomplished artist, who understands issues of composition, colour, technique and presentation.

However, surrounded by many large, colourful and well executed paintings, mostly of the north-west landscape, this small sombre work is a controversial choice. Juniper explained that his decision came down to his own personal taste and, as the sole judge, this has to be accepted.

Everyone, however, had the chance to express their own opinion by nominating their favourite work for the $500 Popular Choice Award. This was won by Douglas Kirsop for his beautiful oil painting Evening Light - Pilbara.

The Invited Artists category was won by Eveline Kotai for her delicate pastel work, titled Watermarked Drawing. Other artists in this category included Indra Giedans, Richard Gunning, Connie Petrillo, Ron Nyisztor, Diana Watson, Ken Done, Douglas Kirsop, Diana Johnson, Merv Britten and Brendon Darby.

As well as the prize winners of the fifteen categories, plus Best Overall Artwork, several artworks were highly commended. One of these, Tony Windberg's Birdrong - Kennedy Ranges, stood out for me as the most appealing entry. This segmented view of the Kennedy Ranges in the distance with impressions of rocks and leaf litter in the foreground, is made up of fifteen small squares. Using ochres, acrylic and pastel, Windberg has obtained fascinating surface qualities on these small squares, each of which could stand alone as an interesting composition.

The Cossack (Acquisitive) Art Awards is a highlight in the Pilbara calendar. It provides an enthusiastic local and tourist audience with the opportunity to view diverse styles and talents of artists from near and far. Each year the overall quality of the exhibition improves and with recent news that yet another resource company wants to sponsor the Art Awards next year, the Cossack Art Awards is confident in its claim as being the richest regional art prize in Australia.