Pamela Lofts (9 August 1949 – 4 July 2012), also known as Pam Lofts, was an Australian children's book illustrator and exhibiting artist based in

Alice Springs Alice Springs () is a town in the Northern Territory, Australia; it is the third-largest settlement after Darwin, Northern Territory, Darwin and Palmerston, Northern Territory, Palmerston. The name Alice Springs was given by surveyor William ...

in the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. She is best remembered as the illustrator of the Australian classic children's books, ''Wombat Stew'' by Marcia Vaughan and ''Koala Lou'' by

Mem Fox Merrion Frances "Mem" Fox AM (; born 5 March 1946) is an Australian writer of children's books and an educationalist specialising in literacy. Fox has been semi-retired since 1996, but she still writes and gives seminars. She lives in Adelaide ...

. Although known for her book illustrations, she was also a photographer, painter, and sculptor.

Biography

Lofts was one of two children born to Dorothy and Rory Lofts. Lofts first moved to Alice Springs in 1980. In response to a lack of contemporary arts activity in Alice Springs, she and four other local artists, established an artists-run initiative called Watch This Space in 1993. Lofts became its first coordinator. During the 1980s, Lofts illustrated some of Australia's best known children's books, including Marcia Vaughan's ''Wombat Stew'' in 1985 which has been widely translated and inspired a series of children's road safety posters in New South Wales. It has also been voted the most popular book in the children's book awards' KOALA Hall of Fame with 13 nominations. She also worked closely with children's author Mem Fox, illustrating ''Koala Lou, Hunwick's Egg'' and ''Sail Away: The Ballad of Skip and Nell.'' Lofts was a successful exhibiting artist in the mediums of drawing, painting and performance who had 27 solo shows across Australia from 1992 to 2002 and was also represented in almost 70 group exhibitions including four Togart Contemporary Art Award exhibitions. She was also visiting artist at the Australian National University's National Institute for the Arts in 2002. Her work is held in the collection of Araluen Arts Centre. Lofts died 4 July 2012, having had

Motor Neurone Disease Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or—in the United States—Lou Gehrig's disease (LGD), is a rare, terminal neurodegenerative disorder that results in the progressive loss of both upper and low ...

for two years.

Selected works

Books

* Wombat Stew by Marcia Vaughan (1984) - illustrator * An Aboriginal Story series (1980s) - ** ''How the birds got their colours'' told by Mary Albert (1983) - compiled by ** ''How the kangaroos got their tails'' told by George Mung Mung Lirrmiyarri (1983) - compiled by ** ''Dunbi the owl'' told by Daisy Utemorrah (1983) - compiled by ** ''The echidna and the shade tree'' told by Mona Green (1984) - retold and illustrated by ** ''When the snake bites the sun'' told by David Mowaljarlai (1984) - compiled by ** ''Warnayarra the Rainbow Snake: an Aboriginal story'' told by the Senior Boys Class, Lajamanu School (1987) - compiled by ** ''The kangaroo and the porpoise: an Aboriginal story'' told by Agnes Lippo (1987) - compiled by ** ''The bat and the crocodile'': an Aboriginal story told by Jacko Dolumyu and Hector Jandany (1987) - compiled by * ''Sail Away: The Ballad of Skip and Nell'' by Mem Fox (1986) - illustrator * ''Koala Lou'' by Mem Fox (1988) - illustrator * ''Yarrtji: Six Women's Stories from the Great Sandy Desert'' (1997) by Tjama Freda Nappanangka, Payi Payi Napangarti, Martingale Mudgedel Napanangka, Kuninyi Rita Nampitjin, Nanyuma Rosie Napurrula, Millie Skeen Nampitjin; compiled and edited by Sonja Peter; translations by Tjama Freda Napanangka, Patricia Lee Napangarti - compiled and edited by * '' Hunwick's Egg'' by Mem Fox (2005) - illustrator

Artwork

Lofts' work is held in the following permanent collections: * Araluen Arts Centre (''Mightbe Somewhere''), *

National Centre for Australian Children's Literature The National Centre for Australian Children's Literature Inc, formerly known as the Lu Rees Archives, is a not-for-profit study and research centre housed at the University of Canberra. The founding donation was by Lu Rees. Its director in 20 ...

(illustrations related to the book '' Hunwick's Egg''), (illustrations related to the book ''Koala Lou''), (illustrations related to the book ''Sail Away''), Her (created with Pip McManus) sculpture ''Storyleaves'' is displayed in the Public Art Precinct, Alice Springs Airport.

Awards

*2005 Kids Own Australian Literature Awards (KOALA) - Picture Book shortlist for ''Hunwick's Egg'', *2004 Young Australian Best Book Awards (YABBA) for ''Wombat Stew'', *1998 New South Wales Premier's History Prize - General History Prize shortlist for ''Yarrtji: Six Women's Stories from the Great Sandy Desert'',

Exhibitions

*''Obscured by Light'' (2012), Araluen Arts Centre *''Old Stories Our Stories Now Stories'' (2021, 2022), Araluen Arts Centre *''Groundrush'' (group) (2018), Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Gorman Arts Centre

Legacy

Following her death Lofts made a bequest to the

Indigenous Literacy Foundation The Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) is an Australian not-for-profit founded in 2011 that works to address the educational disadvantages faced by Indigenous Australian children and young people by providing access to books and literacy prog ...

, which is funded by the royalties from her books, and this bequest has already resulted in ''The Yirara Mix Book'', written and illustrated by students of

Yirara College Alice Springs () is a town in the Northern Territory, Australia; it is the third-largest settlement after Darwin and Palmerston. The name Alice Springs was given by surveyor William Whitfield Mills after Alice, Lady Todd (), wife of the te ...

. Watch This Space's annual Lofty Awards, which recognise an individual's contribution to the arts in Alice Springs ("The Pam Lofts Award for High Endeavour in Central Australian Contemporary Art"), are named after her. Institutions that hold

ephemera Ephemera are items which were not originally designed to be retained or preserved, but have been collected or retained. The word is etymologically derived from the Greek ephēmeros 'lasting only a day'. The word is both plural and singular. On ...

relating to Lofts include the

State Library of Victoria State Library Victoria (SLV) is the state library of Victoria, Australia. Located in Melbourne, it was established in 1854 as the Melbourne Public Library, making it Australia's oldest public library and one of the first free libraries in th ...

, and the

Art Gallery of NSW The Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW), founded as the New South Wales Academy of Art in 1872 and known as the National Art Gallery of New South Wales between 1883 and 1958, is located in The Domain, Sydney, Australia. It is the most import ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lofts, Pamela 1949 births 2012 deaths 20th-century Australian women artists 21st-century Australian women artists Australian illustrators People from Alice Springs Australian children's book illustrators Australian women illustrators Australian installation artists Australian women photographers Australian photographers Australian women painters Australian women sculptors Australian women children's book illustrators