New Zealand’s Most Talented Emerging Artist

Search Under Way For New Zealand’s Most Talented Emerging Artist

More than $17,000 in cash prizes will be on offer to art students around New Zealand entering the Mazda Emerging Artist Award – the largest prize pool on offer to art students.

The winner will receive $10,000 cash from Mazda, while the students who are placed second and third will receive $5,000 and $2,500 respectively.

The awards competition will be staged in conjunction with the annual ArtWorks 2004 Charity Art Exhibition and Sale taking place in August at the Hilton Hotel. The Award is a valuable opportunity for emerging artists to showcase their talent, raise their profiles and promote and sell their work to a viewing public of art enthusiasts.

Last year’s ArtWorks event saw more than 1500 visitors viewing and buying the art that was on display, and raised more than $200,000 for charity.

Peter Aitken, managing director of Mazda New Zealand Ltd, stresses the importance of encouraging New Zealand’s emerging talent.

“ArtWorks 2004 is a celebration of the vision and creativity of New Zealand art and artists,” said Mr Aitken. “We recognise the need for up and coming artists to have opportunities to showcase their talent and through the Mazda Emerging Artist Award, now in its second year, we are glad to be able to do this.”

The competition is open to 3rd and 4th year and studying post-graduate students from tertiary art institutions nationally. They are invited to enter a painting, drawing, photograph or print which will be judged by the NBR’s art columnist, John Daly-Peoples. Entries will be on public display and available for purchase at the Hilton Hotel from the 30th of August to 5th September 2004.

Commission from sales of emerging art will be split between; Variety – the Children’s Charity, The Gifted Kid’s Programme, The Spirit of Adventure Trust, The Malaghan Institute of Medical Research and the Liggins Institute.

Last year’s winning piece by Elam’s Glen Hayward was a replica of a Bonita banana cardboard box, hand carved from wood and painted to look just like the real thing – prompting many viewers to think it actually was just a Bonita branded cardboard box he had entered. Judge, John Daly-Peoples described the piece as transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Students wishing to submit art have until the 30th June to register for the Mazda Emerging Artist Award. For registration forms, students should contact their head of department or log on to http://www.mazda.co.nz

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