Finalists Announced for National Contemporary Art Award

25 June 2013

Judge Jon Bywater has selected 37 finalists for the 2013 National Contemporary Art Award sponsored by Waikato Society of Arts and hosted at Waikato Museum.

The award, now in its 12th year has attracted more than 200 entries. This year a new, fairer system of blind judging was introduced. For Mr Bywater, the award is valuable for audiences and artists alike.

“For Waikato gallery goers and everyone who follows it in the media, it is a chance to sample an assortment of new work from a diverse array of our country’s contemporary artists.

“For the eventual recipient, of course, it represents significant support for achievement in a calling whose rewards are often less material. But for all the finalists, it is a chance to see their work shared and tested in a prestigious venue. I congratulate those entrants whose submissions showed up as the most intriguing and convincing amongst the several hundred made this year,” he said.

The 2013 National Contemporary Art Award finalists are:

1. Alexander Bartleet – Auckland
2. Alexis Neal - Wellsford
3. Annabelle Buick – Auckland
4. Ben Clement – Auckland
5. Brydee Rood - Auckland
6. Christina Read – Auckland
7. Daniel Webby - Auckland
8. David Ed Cooper and James Wylie – Auckland
9. Dean Strickland – Waihi Beach
10. Denise Batchelor – Auckland
11. Dieneke Jansen – Auckland
12. Frances Hansen – Auckland
13. Gabrielle Amodeo – Auckland
14. James Colin Bellaney – Dunedin
15. James Sutherland and Jeremy Mayall – Hamilton
16. Janet Knighton – Hamilton
17. Jessica Pearless – Auckland
18. Justin Spiers – Dunedin
19. Kathy Barry – Auckland
20. Lance Pearce - Auckland
21. Marita Hewitt – Kerikeri
22. Mark Purdom – Hamilton
23. Matthew Crookes – Auckland
24. Natalie Guy – Auckland
25. Paul Handley - Melbourne
26. Paul McLachlan – Wanaka
27. S. Brent Hayward – Auckland
28. Sam Carpenter – Hamilton
29. Selina Foote – Auckland
30. Shahriar Asdollah-Zadeh – Auckland
31. Shannon Novak – Auckland
32. Talia Smith – Auckland
33. Thomas Hinton – Auckland
34. Thomas Hinton and Nicholas O'Mahony – Auckland
35. Toby Raine – Auckland
36. Yoon Tae Kim – Auckland
37. Zac Langdon-Pole – Auckland

The 37 finalists’ works will make up the award exhibition. The winners will be announced on 16 August at an awards ceremony before the exhibition opens at Waikato Museum from 17 August until 10 November 2013.

The overall winner will receive $15,000 from the Waikato Society of Arts and there are three merit awards.

ENDS

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

NAME: Louise Belay
DESIGNATION: Waikato Museum Partnerships and Communications Manager
TEL (DIRECT): 07 838 6956
MOBILE: 021 536 557
EMAIL: louise.belay@hcc.govt.nz