LONDON, UK (ANS) -- While the London Olympics is well under way and there is a “crying foul” that art has somehow missed the London Olympics in both material and spirit. (http://www.smh.com.au/olympics/news-london-2012/banksy-mystery-where-are-the-olympics-artworks-20120725-22qoh.html )

Basil Sellers

But the same cannot be said for Melbourne with the 2012 Basil Sellers $100,000 Art and Sport Prize whose winner will be announced on Thursday evening 2 August at the University of Melbourne's Ian Potter Museum of Art.

Invited guests will gather at 6.00pm for drinks and a viewing of the 2012 exhibition before the announcement and presentation by Mr Basil Sellers AM. Julie Ann Cox the Chairman of the Prize along with Dr Chris McAuliffe the Director of the Potter have been tireless in their preparations.

Short listed are 15 selected artists, many of them are familiar names within the national art scene and the genre of art for this prize in the past has been as diverse as amazing videos, lighted stands, table top artisan creations, a racing push pike in pristine condition, a scientific film analysis of an athlete's running steps, a remarkable variety of sculptured presentations and the visual arts.

The 2012 Basil Sellers Art and Sport Prize exhibition is open to the public from 3 August to the 4 November 2012. (http://www.sellersartprize.com.au)

Mr Basil Sellers AM, a philanthropist established the Art-Sport prize with the Ian Potter Museum, of Art as his two great loves have been Art and Sport and he expressed a genuine concern that Sport has been neglected in the established arts.

This is the third Basil Sellers Art and Sport Prize which was initiated in 2008 and held every second year with its genesis coming from the largest regional and rural private art prize in Australia, the Basil Sellers Moruya Art Prize initiated in 2004 by Dr Mark Tronson.

Mark and Delma Tronson who served in Olympic ministry since 1984 and as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years to 2000, then establishing Life After Cricket in 2001, regularly travel across the nation on Country Town Tours where they survey and link in to the local art communities.

Art is inclusive

Slogan for the art-sport prize

His positive survey of Australia's rural art scene was recently published in Christian Today. In conversation he discovers their aims, philosophy, needs, marketing principles, the number of exhibitions, and who buys their art. Dr. Tronson's art researches have proven to be a surprising delight. Much art is produced and sold regardless of where they visit across Australia.

He says the fastest expanding area of art display is the art gallery 'cleverly disguised' as a travellers cuppa stop, not quiet fast food, come restaurant, come local art exhibition. (http://au.christiantoday.com/article/art-in-tasmania-is-huge-in-spite-of-a-report-that-claims-the-apple-state-has-lack-of-major-public-art-facilities/13633.htm )

Moruya on NSW south coast has a recognised arts community. Dr Mark Tronson established the “Basil Sellers” Moruya Athlete Respite facility for Australian Institute of Sport athletes in 1992. He fell ill in 1999 and turned to art for holistic well-being. In 2003 the Moruya “Basil Sellers” Art Centre was opened by Mr Basil Sellers where he announced the $10,000 art prize for the following year.

Mark Tronson

This Moruya art prize has been subsequently increased to $15,000 and conducted by the Eurobodalla Shire Council under the watchful eye of long time Mayor Fergus Thompson.

Mark and Delma Tronson relocated to Tweed Heads in December 2005. The Basil Sellers Tweed Athlete Respite facility was opened in 2006 followed by the Basil Sellers Tweed Art Studio in 2007. Last year the Basil Sellers Laguna Quays Respite cottage (Whitsundays) was opened for missionary respite. Dr Tronson is Chairman of Well-Being Australia and he and Delma were awarded the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 by Olympian of the Century Carl Lewis.

This Basil Sellers Art-Sport $100,000 Prize is inclusive of all sports not least the Olympics. It will be fascinating as to the 'work' chosen by the judges as the winner for 2012 in this Olympic year.

Jeremy Dover is a former sport scientist, now chaplain & pastor. He is a regular Press Service International correspondent and lives in Melbourne, Australia. His previous articles may be viewed at: http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/jeremy-dover.html