For the first time the Friends of Aratoi are offering an experiential prize as part of their Awards exhibition opening this Friday. As well as securing prize money totaling $3500, the Friends have enabled one lucky artist to receive a week’s residency at New Zealand Pacific Studio at Mt Bruce, valued at $300.
Madeleine Slavick, Community Programme Manager at NZPS says the criteria is for an 'artist whose work speaks with humanity, intelligence, insight and open-mindedness. Living with creative people for a week can be such an enriching experience, and we are excited to offer this opportunity to a Wairarapa-based artist.'
The exhibition happens once every two years and is open to all artists living in the region. This year's selector is Helen Kedgley, formerly director of Pataka Art + Museum, Porirua.
'I always find it interesting to see what other artists have been up to over the two years since the previous awards and how their work has developed,' says Masterton ceramic artist Janet Green, a previous award winner.
Masterton artist and teacher Tina-Rae Carter says she looks forward to the show’ diversity: 'From dabblers to professionals, all have been chosen for some enigmatic quality, and you can see from walking around the show what the selector may have seen in a piece.'
2015 Friends of Aratoi Art Awards, 12 Dec - 7 Feb.
NZPS open day this weekend
Musicians from Switzerland, a Maori photographer, and a painter from The Netherlands to name a few this month's open day at NZPS is an international affair.
Wellington artist Kirsty Lillico is currently staying in the villa's 'very romantic' loft, once the workspace of owner and clockmaker Christopher Burton. Having researched modernist and brutalist architecture, she was attracted by the fact that Kaipororo House is an early example of concrete domestic architecture, and gained funding from Masterton District Council's Creative Communities scheme for her stay.
Kirsty, who has been a senior tutor at Massey University for the past 15 years, often harvests cardboard and carpet for her artworks from rubbish skips near her home in Lyall Bay. Her work 'Blueprint' featured recently in the international show 'Demented Architecture' at City Gallery Wellington. It is made from discarded carpet from the Gallery boardroom into which she cut a floor plan of a modernist building.
'Around the World in Mt Bruce', Sun 13 Dec, 2-5pm. Free entry. NZPS, 85229 State Highway 2, Mt Bruce.
Caption: Asher Raawiri Newbery and Bronwyn Reid unpack works for the forthcoming Friends of Aratoi Art Awards; 'Blueprint' by Kirsty Lillico (pictured far right). Portrait photo: Sarah Simpson.
WHAT'S ON for next week's paper:
2015 Friends of Aratoi Art Awards, until 7 February; One Postcard a Day: Steffen Kreft until 13 Dec; Robin White with Ruha Fifita: Ko e Hala Hangatonu: The Straight Path, until 5 January.
Wairarapa Museum of Art and History