MEDIA RELEASE

Young artists shine in art awards

For immediate release: Tuesday 5 October 2004 Artistic talent shines in Bay of Plenty youth.

About 360 students of all ages produced a wide range of artwork based on environmental themes for this year’s Environmental Art Awards, run by Environment Bay of Plenty.

Now in its eighth year, the awards attracted entries from primary and intermediate students, as well as 70 junior high school students, from across the region. Judge, Rotorua artist Debbie Thyne, says she looked first for artistic merit and then considered how the piece had explored the year’s theme of “Conservation with Communities”.

Ms Thyne was impressed by the quality and creativity of entries. She congratulated Mount Maunganui Primary School’s Willow Lodge, winner of the primary school section, for her “bountiful, exuberant and colourful” work. She described the entry of Otumoetai Intermediate School’s Yasmin Stewart as “visually arresting” and worthy of winning the intermediate school section. Te Puke High School’s Sageanna Rare, junior secondary school category winner, had combined “electric colours and black with a graphic woodblock design”, she says.

Environment Bay of Plenty environmental education officer Esther Mae says a number students worked collaboratively to produce joint entries this year. She wants to congratulate all schools and students that took part. “There are some very talented students out there,” she says.

Winning and highly commended entries will be displayed at venues in Tauranga, Whakatane and Rotorua in October and November.

Exhibition dates are: Tauranga – Tauranga Environment Centre, Elizabeth St, 14-15 October and 19-22 October from 10am to 4pm; Whakatane – Whakatane District Library, 26 October to 8 November; Rotorua – Rotorua District Library, 9 -19 November.

Winners are: Junior Secondary Category: Sageanna Rare (Te Puke High School) 1; Kathryn Bell (Bethlehem College) 2; Jenee Tibshraeny (Bethlehem College) 3; Highly commended – Natasha Graham (Rotorua Girls), Paige Best (Reporoa College), Anaia Te Nana (Mount Maunganui), Gabrielle Barnes (Bethlehem), Regy Manu (Mount Maunganui), Sonia Wildermoth (Rotorua Girls High School), Erica Farrell (Rotorua Girls High School), Chelsea Cooper (Rotorua Girls High School), Malesa McNearney (Te Puke High School).

Intermediate Category: Yasmin Stewart (Otumoetai Intermediate) 1; Ngahuia Kopura (Taneatua) 2; Kristy Wright (Otumoetai) 3. Highly commended – Keisha Parkin (Otumoetai), Cameron Bell (Bethlehem), Fiona Wright (Pongakawa), Peta Drost (Otumoetai), Rebekkah Maule (Otumoetai), Elliot Mallard (Otumoetai), Courtney Leggett (Tauranga Intermediate), Faith Pongi (Taneatua) Ben Keenan (Tauranga).

Primary Category: Willow Lodge (Mount Maunganui Primary) 1; Taylor Armstrong (Matua Primary) 2; Rebekah Neue (Matua Primary) 3. Highly commended – Taima Heremia (Taneatua), Lauren Nicholls (Pukehina), Jayden Collier (Opotiki), Rihari McDonald (Te Mahoe School), Rebekah Neue (Matua), Matthew Fretwell, Kirsty Pentecost and Sandi Broersma (St Josephs Whakatane), Jaskamalpal Basra and Zachary Sutton (Putauaki Primary School).

ENDS

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