Fieldays No. 8 Wire National Art Award 2011

10 June 2011 - 18 July 2011

Waikato Museum and ArtsPost Galleries are proud to again be the organiser of this event and are very appreciative of our major sponsor New Zealand National Agriculutural Fieldays.

View photos on the ArtsPost Flickr Page!

Winner of Fieldays No. 8 Wire National Art Awards 2011 announced

Auckland artist Donna Sarten was announced as the winner of the Fieldays No. 8 Wire National Art Awards 2011 during an awards function at ArtsPost Art Galleries and Shop last night.

As the winner Sarten receives $4000 in prize money for her entry ‘Unsolved’, with second place recipient William Jameson from Napier receiving $1500 for ‘Wire Waka’ and third place getter Gaye Jurisich from Hamilton receiving $1000 for ‘Phasmida’.

The winning entries will now be exhibited alongside the other 12 finalists at Hamilton’s ArtsPost Art Galleries and Shop until 18 July.

ArtsPost Galleries and Waikato Museum are proud to once again be organising this annual event, which challenges artists to create a sculpture made predominantly with no. 8 wire. The award, which has become renowned for the inventive and unique entries it attracts, is held in conjunction with Fieldays at Mystery Creek Events Centre and is generously sponsored by New Zealand National Agricultural Fieldays.

Independent curator, arts consultant and writer Dr Carole Shepheard judged the 2011 awards and said the artists in this year’s group have been chosen for their ability to shift the focus from the inherent qualities of the material itself, to expressing fresh and individual concepts that push past the expected.

“The artists selected for this exhibition have bought a level of sophistication to the task of working with No.8 wire. They have found clever ways to impose control where needed but not to entirely deny its origins in the history of Aotearoa, New Zealand,” she said.

Fieldays Society President Lloyd Downing said he is impressed with the innovative entries that these awards attract.

“The artists’ skill and creativity astounds year after year with fresh and innovative sculptures created from the iconic farming material. Innovation is imperative to Fieldays and we are extremely proud to sponsor the ingenious No.8 Wire Art Awards.”

1st Place Winner "Unknown" by Donna Sarten.

Entry has closed and FINALISTS HAVE NOW BEEN ANNOUNCEd for 2011:

Prizes

1st Place   $4000
2nd Place  $1500
3rd Place   $1000

The Judge - Dr carole Shepheard

Carole Shepheard was a Professor of Fine Arts at The University of Auckland until 2007 when she left to live permanently in Kawhia. She set up Te Puti Studio to continue her practice but also for teaching and community art purposes. Carole has exhibited both nationally and internationally with her art in all major New Zealand Art collections including the Auckland Art Gallery and Te Papa Tongarewa. In 1991 she was made a Commonwealth International Woman of the Year; in 2002 an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit and in 2004 gained her Doctorate of Fine Arts.  She is an independent curator, arts consultant and writer

KEY DATES

Fieldays Website

http://www.fieldays.co.nz/