Winners Of The West Coast Art Competition Announced

The winners of the 2020 Te Tai o Poutini Art Awards have been announced at an awards ceremony in Hokitika.

Ten artists have been announced as winners of the 2020 Te Tai o Poutini Art Awards in an awards ceremony held earlier today.

The ceremony took place at 11am in Weld Lane, Hokitika (or Old Theatre Lodge, 11 Revell Street Hokitika).

Artworks by the 25 finalists have been photographed to feature in an outdoor exhibition in Weld Lane, providing a backdrop to the awards presentation.

Guest judges, Rachael Rakena and Craig Potton, chose and announced the award winners this morning.

"We were really fortunate to see the artworks in person and it was a real pleasure,” says Rachael Rakena.

"Art is significant in a community and these people (entrants) have virtually laid out their souls out to us," says Craig Potton.

This new arts initiative by WAI has attracted over 160 entries from around 90 artists who have a close association with the West Coast. A selection of the artwork is now for sale and will be displayed in an online gallery for one year at tetaipoutiniartawards.co.nz

The awards were run by WAI (Westland Arts Inc) with a massive funding boost from Creative NZ’s COVID-19 support fund.

The winners of Te Tai o Poutini Art Awards are:

The Young Artist Award sponsored by The West Coast Society of Arts:

• Holly Schroder- Inverting

The Poutini Ngai Tahu Award sponsored by the Bill Blackadder Trust

• Jennifer Katarina Rendall - Te Nehenehe Kahurangi (The Blue Forest)

The Award for 3D form sponsored by Fulton Hogan

• Highly commended: Anne Daniel – Ethereal.
• Winner: Mandy Gargiulo – Salacia.

The Yvonne Rust Tai Poutini Landscape Award sponsored by the Yvonne Rust West Coast Art Trust.

• Highly commended: Caroline McQuarrie - Forgotten Garden.
• Winner: Allan Batt - Harakeke Nui.

The West Coast Expresssion Award sponsored by Westland Arts Inc (WAI)

• Highly commended: Maria Martin-Smith - The Whisper of Hooves.
• Winner: Kate Buckley - Wave 2020 .

The SUPREME AWARD sponsored by the Bill Blackadder Trust

• Highly commended: Ruth Mitchener - Geologists Creek 1989
• Highly Commended: Karyn Roberts - Weta
• The 2020 Supreme Award Winner: Jennifer Katarina Rendall - Te Nehenehe Kahurangi (The Blue Forest).

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