Small Work Takes Big Prize

A small work submitted by Frances Stachl of Whanganui took the Best in Show prize of $700 at the 2013 Whanganui National Art Exhibition and Awards at the Wanganui Community Arts Centre on Thursday.

The exhibition and awards are presented by the Whanganui National Art Exhibition and Award Trust. The annual exhibition is open to artists living and working in New Zealand, and is in its fifth year.

The judges for this year’s awards were Esther Topfer, trustee and a Whanganui printmaker, Sarah Williams, a Whanganui painter and gallery manager, and Mikaere Gardiner, a painter, from Taumarunui.

They selected Ms Stachl’s work, The Baby and the Bathwater, for its rendering of something insignificant such as a bathplug and the layering of perceptions and concepts by use of materials and elaborate production. Made from sterling silver, deer antler, and beef bone, The Baby and the Bathwater work has been well received by viewers to the exhibition.

Certificates of Merit prizes of $100 were awarded to Becka-Lee Biggs of Whanganui for her digital print Humble Bee, and to previous Merit winner, Andria Pablo of Wellington, for her large work Tonatiuh Ra, comprising of Aztec iconography made from beads, drawing together her cultural heritages of New Zealand and Mexico.

There were a total of 43 works submitted by artists from Whanganui, Hawke’s Bay, the Kapiti Coast, Manawatu, Marlborough, Rangitikei, Tararua, and Wellington. The competition is designed to create a national platform for visual artists in painting, printmaking, photography, glass production, sculpture and mixed media, and to build relationships between the national arts sector and the Whanganui arts community.

The exhibition is open at the Wanganui Community Arts Centre till September 6. The 2013 Whanganui National Art Exhibition and Awards is supported by Optiv101 Fine Arts and Multimedia Studios, Mickey’s Superliquor, and the Grand Hotel.

The 2013 Whanganui National Art Exhibition and Awards

The 2013 Whanganui National Art Exhibition and Awards

The annual Whanganui National Art Exhibition and Awards is open to artists from across New Zealand.

Opening Function and Award Presentation at the Community Arts Centre, 5pm to 7pm, Thursday August 22, 2013

Entry forms can be downloaded from HERE, requested from the Whanganui National Art Exhibition and Award Trust, 22 Drews Avenue, Whanganui 4500, or by emailing whanganuinational@gmail.com

Best in Show Award prize $700
Two Certificate of Merit prizes are $100 each

Judges:

Esther Topfer
Sarah Williams
Mikaere Gardiner

Key Dates:

Monday August 19 to Wednesday August 21, 2013
Work submitted to the Community Arts Centre, 19 Taupo Quay, Wanganui, between 10.30am & 4pm

Thursday August 22, 2013
Opening Function and Award Presentation at the Community Arts Centre, 5pm to 7pm

Friday September 6, 2013
Final day of exhibition

Saturday September 7, 2013
Collection and Freighting of work from the Community Arts Centre between 10.30am & 4pm

Thanks to our sponsors to date for their support of the 2013 Whanganui National Art Exhibition and Awards; Optiv101 Fine Arts and Multimedia Studios, the Grand Hotel, and Mickey's Superliquor.

Trust Invites Public to Open Studio

Trust Invites Public to Open Studio

The Whanganui National Art Exhibition and Award Trust is excited about participating in the 2012 Whanganui Artists Open Studios in March. It is a proactive way to promote Trust events and activities, as well as engage the public in demonstrations in painting and printmaking and other disciplines.

The trust was set up in 2010 to convene the annual Whanganui National Art Exhibition and Awards, and has a group of enthusiastic arts and business practitioners as Trustees. Having the awards show grow each year has prompted the trust to expand its activities to engage more with the wider community, and that includes the Open Studio.

Trust chairman Aaron Potaka is pleased to be able to have the trustees, as working artists and business mentors, participating in Open Studio. "What is really apparent from the buzz coming from the trustees is the excitement of directly engaging the public through their art making and promoting", he says.

Mr Potaka says it is important for the trust that the public sees art in process, from blank canvases and papers to finished works. "That way visitors have a real insight into art making and build a rapport with the artists and their works, away from the gallery environment where that relationship is less intimate."

The trustees consist of Aaron Potaka as a printmaker and painter, Neil Buddle working in printmaking and mixed media assemblage, Esther Topfer as mixed media artist and printmaker, Sandra Louwrens de Kock working with painting media, whilst Bernie Steyn is a fine arts student. Ariki Toru is responsible for trust development and marketing.

The Trust Open Studio will have an Exhibition of Trustees showing the works of the trustees, as well as the working studio, with the possibility of workshops for visitors in painting and printmaking.

Visitors can learn about what the Whanganui National Art Exhibition and Award Trust does, upcoming Trust events and activities, and the promotion of New Zealand contemporary fine arts. "We are really looking forward to entertaining, enlightening and engaging with our visitors to send them of with a behind-the-scenes look and hands-on participation in art making, and a better appreciation of art practice", Mr Potaka says.

The 2012 Whanganui Artists Open Studios is on 17th, 18th, 24th and 25th of March.

The Whanganui National Art Exhibition and Award Trust Open Studio is located on Level One, the Old Chronicle Building, 22 Drews Ave, Whanganui, and open from 10am to 4pm.

Thanks to Optiv101 Fine Arts and Multimedia Studios, Mathathane Studio, and the Whanganui Arts Marketing and Development Trust for their support.

Optiv101 Supporting Whanganui National Art Exhibition and Award Trust

Optiv101 Supporting Whanganui National Art Exhibition and Award Trust

Trustees of the Whanganui National Art Exhibition and Award Trust will be exhibiting their works and demonstrating their art practices in the Whanganui Artists Open Studios 2012 (17 & 18 and 24 & 25 March 2012).

Aaron Potaka, Chairman, is a printmaker and painter, Neil Buddle, Treasurer, works in printmaking and mixed media assemblage, Esther Topfer, Secretary, uses mixed media and printmaking, Sandra Louwrens de Kock, Trustee, works with painting media, and Bernie Steyn, Trustee, is a fine arts student.

Learn what the Whanganui National Art Exhibition and Award Trust does to promote New Zealand contemporary fine arts.

Level One, Old Chronicle Building, 22 Drews Ave, Whanganui.

Thanks to Optiv101 Fine Arts and Multimedia Studios for their support.

Whanganui Artists Take Treble

Whanganui Artists Take Treble

Whanganui artists were a winning treble at the 2011 Whanganui National Art Exhibition and Awards where artists were showing from Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Whanganui, Wairarapa, Wellington, and Otago.

In a strong local line up amongst the 48 artists on display, Pam Sears won through with her mixed media sculpture Nappy Brain to take the Best in Show Award. Alice Kim with her drawing Mind Map and Bernie Steyn with his painting Sentinel claimed Certificates of Merit.

The exhibition is showing until October 2 at the Wanganui Community Arts Centre, and was opened on Friday evening by Esther Topfer, secretary of conveners The Whanganui National Art Exhibition and Award Trust. Earlier in the afternoon, judges Neil Buddle and Andrea Du Chatenier both of Whanganui, and Dane Pace of Auckland attended a preview session to choose the prize winners.

Ms Du Chatenier said that Ms Sears’ work was chosen Best in Show for the use of media, the concept of a new mother and her baby adjusting hormonally and emotionally to literal life changes, and the way she realised her work as a skull presented on a plinth to have a certain presence in the room.

Mr Buddle said that judges were overwhelmed by the intensity of Ms Kim’s Mind Map in scale, colour, patterns, and rhythms of the work. Ms Kim’s Certificate of Merit was presented to her son James in her absence. He said that she would be very pleased with the acknowledgement of her work by the judges and would like to thank the other artists for participating in the Whanganui National.

Bernie Steyn was also absent at the presentation. Mr Pace said that judges were impressed with the capturing of the dynamic changing of light in his landscape under a sunrise. The colour theory was well considered, a deep green and ochre of the land to launch a vibrancy of white and orange in the sky.

Ms Topfer said that the trust is pleased with the growing uptake nationally for the show with this exhibition being the biggest yet with forty-eight artists with five trustees and judges exhibiting as well.

“The Whanganui National is about artists from across New Zealand competing and aiming for their personal bests each time. It is good for us as artists and audience that we see the best from other artists, because we get new standards to reference from and we see what is happening elsewhere,” she says.

Ms Topfer said that it is a trust policy that the judges show to exhibit their credentials, and, the trustees as practicing artists also show to encourage fine arts as a path to youth and young people to engage the community

Ms Topfer said that the Whanganui National Art Exhibition and Award Trust is thankful for all its volunteers in the exhibition that takes over six months to implement. All that work is realised into a week of receipt and handling of works, and the last few hours of hanging the works before the judging session and opening.

“We hope that all our volunteers have gained some experience and insight into exhibition production. However, without them participating freely, we could not have done this in those months and few final hours. They play a big part in the Whanganui National when it matters,” she says.

Ms Topfer said that the trust is grateful for the support of their sponsors for their aid in bringing New Zealand art to Whanganui. “Our thanks to Creative Communities NZ Wanganui District, The Lion Foundation, Optiv101 Fine Arts and Multimedia Studios, Pub Charity, The United Lodge of Wanganui No. 468, The Trusts Charitable Foundation, and Mickey’s Superliquor”.

Whanganui National Art Award Win to Christine Haber

Whanganui National Art Award Win to Christine Haber

Christine Haber, Whanganui, Tread Lightly on the Foreshore, photograph
2010 Whanganui National Art Award Best in Show Winner

Desiree Oosthuysen, Auckland, Tui in Kowhai Tree, mixed media
2010 Whanganui National Art Award Certificate of Merit

Leonie Sharp, Whanganui, Scoari, fabric, feathers, fibre
2010 Whanganui National Art Award Certificate of Merit

The 2010 Whanganui National Art Award was won by Whanganui photographer Christine Haber, the second year in a row a Whanganui artist has taken Best in Show. In this year’s exhibition, 20 artworks were submitted by artists from Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Wairarapa, Manawatu, Whanganui, Wellington and Otago.

Ms Haber was ectastic with her win. “To be selected the 2010 Whanganui National Art Award Winner from amongst all these other artists who entered from around New Zealand gives me such pride. These works here are all capable of winning”, she said.

Judges Marty Vreede, printmaker and printmaking lecturer at Whanganui UCOL, and Richard Aslett, award winning painter and graphic artist were impressed with the quality of light and dynamic of Ms Haber’s winning entry titled Tread Lightly on the Foreshore. The photograph of a bronze statue’s foot on a sandstone rock had a tension that is a core principle of art. Mr Vreede says, “The delicate exposure and composition were appealing to us. It’s softness of tones and lines give fluidity to a static object.”

Certificate of Merits were given to Tui in Kowhai Tree by Desiree Oosthuysen from Auckland and Scaori by Leonie Sharp from Whanganui. Mr Aslett said that Tui in Kowhai Tree blazed with blue of the sky, and the layering of paint to create the dazzle of tui plumage. “For Scaori we enjoyed the way Ms Sharp incorporated Maori and Scottish cultures of whakapapa and New Zealand history by Korowai and Tartan, pheasant feathers and flax”, he said.

The exhibition runs till October 6 at the Wanganui Community Arts Centre, 19 Taupo Quay, Wanganui. The convener of the exhibition and presenter of the award is the Whanganui National Art Exhibition and Award Trust. The award competition and prize money are designed to create a national platform for visual artists in the Whanganui region, and to develop dialogue and relationships between the national arts sector and the Whanganui arts community.

Trust Secretary and spokeswoman Esther Topfer said that a national exhibition is important exposure for artists. She says “The Whanganui National Art Award is top of the line. The competition is huge and the judging is very critical. It’s taking your work to a wider audience and the artists have the chance of winning an award that will play a big part in driving forward their careers.” Ms Topfer said that the introduction of the Certificate of Merits was in response to the strengths of the exhibition as a whole and those merited works in particular.

She said that the trust is grateful for the sponsorships from the Wanganui District Creative Communities NZ, Optiv101 Fine Arts and Multimedia Studios, Powerco Wanganui Trust, Whanganui Community Foundation, and Mickey’s, in presenting the 2010 Whanganui National Art Exhibition and Award.

Inaugural Wanganui National Art Award Presented to Local Artist

Inaugural Wanganui National Art Award Presented to Local Artist

The first Wanganui National Art Exhibition and Award was launched yesterday at the
Wanganui Community Arts Centre, 19 Taupo Quay, and runs until September 27th.

Twenty works were entered by ten artists from the Wanganui, Hawke’s Bay and Wellington regions. The convener Aaron Potaka, of Optiv101 Fine Arts and Multimedia Studios, is pleased to present New Zealand’s newest art exhibition and award to the city and expects the entries and prize to grow next year.

“This city has a reputation for nurturing and promoting the arts, and with the Wanganui National, now the city has stepped up to take on those responsibilities for contemporary art for all of New Zealand”, Potaka says.

He says that he is honoured to have talented artists exhibiting and being ambassadors for the Wanganui National Art Exhibition and Award.

A panel of graphic novelist Dylan Horrocks, printmaker Rowan Gardiner and the convener, Potaka, selected Glory by Esther Topfer of Wanganui, as Best in Show. The panellists were impressed with all works, commenting that they were at the forefront of contemporary art in New Zealand. The decision to select a winner for the award was difficult to make.

The winning work is a silkscreen of paints and mixed media on glass. The work has
sophistication and appeal to it. The work is grounded with dark blues and blacks, and the gold and pink in the figures are very alluring. The production process was innovative and fresh, and materials integrated into the work were delightfully quirky.

The Wanganui National Art Exhibition and Award is presented by Optiv101 Fine Arts and
Multimedia Studios.

Copyright © 2009 Optiv101 Fine Arts and Multimedia Studios

Inaugural Wanganui National is New Exhibition for New Zealand Fine Artists

Inaugural Wanganui National is New Exhibition for New Zealand Fine Artists

The Wanganui National 2009 Amalgamated Tech Art Exhibition and Award has been inaugurated to promote the fine arts in New Zealand, showcased in Wanganui, a city renowned for nurturing and inspiring visual artists.

The exhibition is open to all artists living and working in New Zealand, and offers an array of styles and tastes. Seeded by twelve artists from the Wanganui, Wellington and Hawkes Bay regions, the Wanganui National aims to promote New Zealand artists and the visual arts, and to bring new arts experiences to the city.

Neil Buddle and Esther Topfer are two Wanganui artists seeding the exhibition. Neil Buddle continues to grow and develop his art practice following stints in arts administration. This has meant developing both the commercial and conceptual strands of his work.

His latest work selling in Auckland are prints of New Zealand native trees and how the rich natural resources of our country make our urban environment, intertwining the history of people and land. In addition he is exhibiting in international, national and local exhibitions.

Although currently working primarily as a printmaker, Neil is looking forward to returning to the medium of assemblage for this exhibition. His principal subjects of interest are local politics, landscape, cultural history and erotica.

Esther Topfer is a Diploma of Glass graduate and is completing the last year of her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Wanganui’s Quay School of the Arts. Her exhibition piece is titled Glory, a work of mixed media, paint and screen-printing on glass.

The delicate surface beauty of Esther’s work draws the viewer into a world of eclectism where beliefs of many cultures are magically entwined in a unification of spiritual imagery. By using divergent materials, processes and subjects, Esther is asking the viewer to accept these differences and meld our individual spirituality and beliefs to form a new way of devotion to God, Goddess and Spirit.

The exhibition will have all works for sale and runs during a time of numerous other cultural events in the city, such as the Wanganui Literary Festival and the Wanganui Festival of Glass. A cash award will be given to the artist with the Best in Show as judged by a selection panel.
The exhibition is held at the Wanganui Community Arts Centre. The opening function starts at 5pm on Thursday 17th September and the exhibition shows until Sunday 27th September.

The Wanganui National Art Exhibition and Award is presented by Optiv101 Fine Arts and Multimedia Studios

Copyright © 2009 Optiv101 Fine Arts and Multimedia Studios