Media Release
Friday, 28 November 2014
Choosing from almost 370 entries submitted by New Zealand artists throughout the country, Judge Dr Anne Kirker has selected 50 finalist artworks for the 2015 New Zealand Painting and Printmaking Award.This award is our country’s most valuable, acquisitive cash award for New Zealand artists in the fields of painting and printmaking. The $20,000 prize is very generously sponsored by the Philip Vela Family Trust and they also purchase the winning artwork for their collection. Success in this competition has been a springboard for many of the winning artists who have moved on to significant careers in the contemporary art field.
The judge for 2015 is Dr Anne Kirker. Her experience includes curatorial work in leading galleries in New Zealand and Australia. She was Adjunct Associate Professor at Queensland College of Art and now works as an independent art consultant, curator and writer.
The finalist works will be exhibited during the Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival. The winner will be announced on 13 February 2015 at the awards ceremony; there will also be two merit awards presented. The public are invited to vote for the Peoples’ Choice award during the exhibition and the popular favourite wins a prize of art materials donated by Gordon Harris.
The exhibition is the major visual arts event at the Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival and is FREE to the public. The exhibition will run from 14th February until Thursday 26th February 2014.