Artist Megan Adams’ most recent subject literally bumped into her on the street. When she saw AFL star Adam Goodes on the streets of Darwin in July 2016 she couldn’t believe her luck. Megan had been planning to approach him to ask if he would let her paint his portrait for the Archibald this year, with a view to donating 100% of the profits to the GO Foundation.
“I asked Adam if I could paint him and he really took the time to look through my website and my previous works. He was very impressed by my portrait of Wayne Bennett in particular. Each year Adam sits down with his agent, assesses the different artists that have requested to paint him that year and decides who will be granted permission – and I was the chosen one!” says Megan.
Megan’s portrait of Goodes is a multitude of colours and is entitled Colour Doesn’t Matter. “A close friend of mine has an indigenous son and he has been subject to racial slurs and bullying because of the colour of his skin. He is such a kind-hearted child and seeing him upset by that absolutely broke my heart. I’m so passionate about putting a stop to racism here in Australia and I wanted the portrait to reflect that. The colour of your skin does not matter,” says Megan.
Goodes is a passionate advocate against racism himself. He was infamously called an ‘ape’ by a football fan at a match in 2013. Over the years that followed, Goodes became the subject of booing from crowds, which many believe to have been motivated by racism. For his work with the GO Foundation and empowering indigenous Australians, Goodes was named Australian of the Year in 2014.
Megan is the Enrolments and Marketing Officer at Kormilda College in Darwin. The majority of the boarding students are Indigenous Australians and Megan has worked closely with parents to complete the process of applying for scholarships. “Working in a school, I know how incredibly important education is and how an opportunity like those offered by the GO Foundation can truly change lives and whole generations,” says Megan.
The Adam Goodes artwork will be sold on Megan’s website for $5,000 and 100% of the proceeds will go to the GO Foundation, founded by Goodes. The GO Foundation is a national scholarship program working with corporates, schools, universities and other organisations to create a brighter future for indigenous Australians.
The Archibald finalists are announced on the 20th of July, with the final prize winner announced on 28th of July.
For more information, to view Megan’s other works and to purchase this portrait of Goodes please visit www.meganadamsfineart.com.
