One of Australia’s most awarded and best loved artists, Wendy Sharpe, will be guest speaker at a special fundraising dinner on June 17 by Friends of Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery.

Known for her fearless approach to art, Wendy will share her experiences working around the world and reveal why people are at the heart of her success and the causes she supports.

One of the few women to famously win the Archibald Prize with a self-portrait in 1996, Wendy was recently announced as a finalist again for the 8th time with another portrait of herself, this one featuring ghosts as a nod to her family’s spiritualist past.

With over 60 solo exhibitions now under her belt, Wendy has been sought-after for such diverse projects as deployment as an official war artist in East Timor, to capturing the backstage world of burlesque performers.

Wendy often uses her bold portraits of daily life and humanity to highlight social issues including women’s health and asylum seekers’ rights. Her latest exhibition Her Shoes has raised funds for Lou’s Place Women’s Refuge. Wendy created and donated 52 artworks of women’s shoes; each pair representing a life lost every week due to domestic violence.

In demand more than ever, Wendy is featured in the new ABC television series Space 22, helping people discover the benefits of art on their mental health. This follows ABC’s Compass program showing the moving story of Wendy’s 40m ephemeral mural, documenting her trip to Ukraine researching her Jewish ancestry.

In Coffs Harbour, the Friends are thrilled Wendy can share her insights with their regional audience, especially at such a busy time for the urbanite who works from her warehouse in Sydney’s inner-west and will soon return to her second home in Paris.

“Wendy Sharpe’s lifetime commitment to the arts shows us how valuable artists are in helping communities bond and grow,” says Friends’ President, Heather McKinnon.

“Making her living entirely from painting, Wendy is proof of the hardworking nature of a successful artist. This will be an inspiring night for Coffs to come together again to celebrate and support the arts.”

Dinner with Wendy Sharpe will also feature music by Bellingen’s Sunset Strut, and guests have the chance to take home a Wendy Sharpe artwork. Funds raised go towards still life works for the new Yarrila Arts & Museum now being built in Coffs.