Eye on the Prize sale at Ferner Galleries

Media Release – February 21, 2005

Award winning NZ artists feature in Eye on the Prize sale at Ferner Galleries in Parnell

The works of some of New Zealand’s top award winning artists including Peter McIntyre and Colin Wheeler are exhibiting at the Ferner Galleries in Parnell.

The Eye on the Prize exhibition closes on March 6 and includes artists who figured in the old Kelliher Art Award.

This is the first time many of the award paintings had been publicly displayed for many years.

Ferner’s exhibition includes paintings by the judges, award entrants and finalists of the Kelliher Award.

``Although the last Award was held in 1977 it has had a lasting effect on the development of New Zealand art and on formulating opinions among the country's art lovers,’’ Ferner Galleries spokeswoman Natalie Poland said today..

``The intention of the competition was to encourage artists to paint the essential character of the New Zealand scene and the ways of life of its people,’’ she said.

The exhibition examines the influence of the award on the emergence of a generation of landscape artists and a tradition of New Zealand Landscape painting.

The competition was founded by Sir Henry Kelliher in 1956 to encourage a national consciousness through artistic endeavour.

It gave artists of the day – like Peter McIntyre and Colin Wheeler – a chance to win prestige and to have their work exhibited before a large audience.

Artists whose works are on display include the judges Claude Muncaster, John Loxton, Robert Johnson, Stewart Maclennan, Kenneth McFayden, as well as entrants and winners such as Peter McIntyre, David Barker, Robert McDowell, Colin Wheeler and Ian Scott.

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