Entries Still Open For Asia Pacific Arts Awards

Entries Still Open For The Nokia Asia Pacific Arts Awards 1999

New Zealand, 2 September 1999. A total of thirteen thousand entry forms for the Nokia Art Awards - Asia Pacific have now been sent out to students aged between 18 to 25 throughout New Zealand. Entries close on 30 September 1999. Five New Zealand winners will each win a $5,000 educational grant to further their art study. The Nokia Arts Awards will culminate in a grand, region-wide competition planned for January 2000, where all top five entries from each country will be consolidated for judging. A prestigious international educational grant at a preeminent arts institution will be awarded to the Asia Pacific top prize-winner. An international panel of judges will select the winners.

The Nokia Arts Awards - Asia Pacific is an integrated programme of local and regional arts awards, art exhibitions, workshops and educational grants spanning across about a dozen Asia Pacific countries .

For New Zealand, judging of the entries will take place during October 1999 with the five NZ finalists announced at the Auckland Art Gallery on 3 November 1999.

Theme for 1999

Based on the theme "Visions of Your Future", the Nokia Arts Awards for 1999 will focus on two-dimensional contemporary art.

"The Nokia Arts Awards - Asia Pacific is a region-wide celebration of innovation, artistic vision and the creative human spirit. Nokia is a company in touch with both the future and with human needs. In keeping with this philosophy, Nokia embraces the arts and seeks to support young artists who are prepared to explore, innovate and communicate through the inspiring medium of art," said Suguna Madhavan, General Manager, Communications, Nokia, South East Asia and Pacific.

Country Manager, Nokia Mobile Phones New Zealand, Pierre Middleton said "Nokia hopes that the arts awards will inspire and encourage full time students and student artists to push their boundaries and communicate their vision, and through art, challenge perceptions and expectations of the future".

"Through the Nokia arts initiative, we hope to help nurture the interest and development of artistic talent in New Zealand. Participants will also have the opportunity to share their creative and inspirational works with the best of artistic talents at regional level," Mr Middleton said.

New Zealand judges

The five eminent New Zealand judges are: New Zealand artist Dick Frizzell, Dame Cheryll Sotheran, Chief Executive of Te Papa, Chris Saines, Director of the Auckland Art Gallery, multi-media artist Lisa Reihana and deputy arts editor of Urbis magazine, Julian Andrews.

Nokia

A leader in the cellular industry in many markets in Asia Pacific, Nokia provides innovative, industry-leading and market- relevant technology and products to around 30 diverse markets in the region.

Nokia is paving the way to the mobile information society with its innovative products and solutions. Nokia is the leading mobile phone supplier and a leading supplier of mobile, fixed and IP networks including related services. It also supplies multimedia terminals and computer displays. In 1998, net sales totaled EUR 13.3 billion (USD 15.7 billion). Headquartered in Finland, Nokia is listed on the New York (NOK), Helsinki, Stockholm, London, Frankfurt and Paris stock exchanges and employs more than 51,000 people.

ENDS....

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