by Carla Caruso

With entries open for our biennial Adelaide Park Lands Art Prize, we wanted to put the spotlight on those making things happen behind the scenes.

Among the unsung heroes is webmaster Brook Gerard. Although he’s based in the historic mining town of Burra – a two-hour drive from the CBD – this hasn’t stopped him from being involved in the competition since its inception.

APA president Shane Sody says Brook has been “the only consistent contributor for the entire duration of the Art Prize”. “From the time it started in 2014, or just before, he is the only person who has stayed the course through five iterations and is still doing the website now for the 2023 Art Prize.” 

Brook, who has also been a long-time volunteer with the Burra Regional Art Gallery, was first contacted to help with the Art Prize through a friend.

“I designed [the website], coded it, built it, and I host it as well. Then I volunteered to do data management for the site … I enjoy seeing the numbers move around and contacting the artists to having everything looking really crisp.”

Over time, Brook has helped implement such changes as enabling entries to be submitted via the site, rather than just by post or email. This has saved on “a lot of typing”.

“Being involved from the start, it’s like my project to me,” Brook says with a smile. “It’s really good to see [the site] growing and changing.”

As well as being a web designer, Brook is an emerging artist and relishes being involved in the art world. “I just like the mindset of artists. I’m meeting new artists all the time. Artists are very social with each other. It was like when I used to sail when I was younger for a little bit; that community’s the same. It’s very inclusive of each other. They look out for each other.”

Brook supports what the Art Prize stands for too. “I just like what it’s about. The communal space of the Park Lands itself is an important thing. I appreciate that there are people who are dedicated to their preservation.”

Brook and his partner, Kerry Youde, are looking to set up an online store of their own in future, selling their own works and that of other artists.

On his own gear, Brook says it can be “super sci-fi” in theme. “It’s mostly digital, but there are [also] some physical, sculptural-type things.”

For the APA’s Art Prize in 2023, there’s a prize pool of $50,000 up for grabs, with $20,000 for the first prize.

Keen to read more about the competition? Check out our interview with Nataliya Sard, the chair of the organising committee.