This year, we had a huge turnout for the Wairarapa Art Review Awards and Opening night on Friday 5 December.
Sandra Debney, Chair of the Friends of Aratoi who helped organise the Review was thrilled about the turnout and the incredible exhibition that the museum team produced.
“We surpassed the 2023 Review,” she said. “We had 131 pieces of work entered and our independent guest judge selected 69 to be in the final exhibition.”
Jaenine Parkinson is the Head of Art at Te Papa and had a challenging job whittling the entries down to the final selection, spending the whole day at Aratoi.
There were seven of the eight awards presented on the night.
The 3D award sponsored by Hillview Property Investments Ltd, went to Linda Tilyard with her sculpture Whakarongo. “She brings an exquisite sensitivity in modelling to expressing a distinctive sense of individuality,” said Jaenine.
Julie Douglas won the Emerging Artist Award sponsored by ConArt Gallery and Studios with her work Henley. Jaenine explained that she demonstrated a remarkable confidence with composition, colour, and scale, that far exceeded expectations for an artist at this stage of their practice. Julie also wins a residency package with ConArt.
Creative Kitchens Wairarapa’s Photography award went to Lisa Nelson for her work Beauty Will Set You Free. Jaenine commented that Lisa was an “accomplished practitioner whose mastery of light and shadow, composition, and staging is immediately apparent.”
The Portraiture Prize, sponsored by Jane Hyder went to a full-body portrait that explored the complexities involved in expressing character, particularly one’s own. A shocked Natasha Priddle scooped the prize with her work Can I get close to you/me?
The Exciting Use of Colour award sponsored by Gwenda Saunders was won by Christopher Davidson with Sentry. “Fluorescent, uncanny hues become carriers of urgent message, compelling us to reconsider our relationship with the environment,” Jaenine says.
Rigg Zschokke presented the Highly Commended award to a surprised Evan Jones for his bright rendition titled Fensham. “The high-key palette of fluorescent and phosphorescent hues transforms these seedlings into something almost extraterrestrial,” said Parkinson.
The last award of the night was the Premier prize sponsored by Friends of Aratoi. A stunned Andrew Olsen received the prize for his large painting Bloom. He also won the top prize in the previous 2023 Review.
Parkinson said of the winning work, “it exudes painterly confidence. Its loose, expressive brushwork offers just enough suggestion of form and line to ignite the imagination, while the composition brims with energy and movement.”
The eighth and final prize, the ‘People’s Choice’ award sponsored by Frank Minehan is to be given out on the last day of the exhibition on the 15 February at 4pm. Voting slips are available at the Front Desk throughout the exhibition.