Artist book wins gold

A book peering into the inner workings of the lives of artists throughout the region has been hailed on the international stage and awarded a gold medal at the Independent Publisher Book Awards.

Artists of the Margaret River Region, profiling about 80 artists involved in the Margaret River Region Open Studios event, was this week announced as a winner at the awards, which showcase books from across North America and English-speaking nations.

Authors Gabi Mills and Carmen Jenner are planning to travel to New York next month to receive their medal, an achievement Mills said was a “huge honour”.

The book, which goes “behind the scenes” of artists, their studios and the galleries that exhibit them, was the authors’ first effort.

Mills said the duo knew they were onto a good thing judging by the warm reception they received when the book was released in November.

“It seems entirely appropriate that a book about Margaret River and its amazing art scene has scooped the top award on the world stage, just at the same moment as the region as a whole seems to be having a moment,” Mills said.

The Independent Publisher Book Awards will be presented in New York’s Times Square on May 30.