Finalists for 2019 National Contemporary Art Award announced
24 May 2019
Fifty-one artists are vying for the $27,000 of prize money in the 2019 National Contemporary Art Award.
Highly decorated artist Fiona Pardington is judging this year’s award and has selected 53 works by 51 artists as the finalists.
The successful works were selected through a blind judging process in which Pardington reviewed images, artists’ statements, and video without knowing the identity of the artist.
“It’s always hard for one artist to judge another artist’s work and I found this very difficult, especially when presented with works out of context,” she says.
“There were so many wonderful entries and, sadly, not all could be included in my final selection.”
The award is managed by Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato, which will host an exhibition of the finalists from 3 August to 10 November 2019.
Tompkins Wake and Chow:Hill are the major sponsors and have increased the first prize for 2019 from $20,000 to $25,000 in recognition of the award’s 20th year.
The Hugo Charitable Trust sponsors the Hugo Award for the Runner-Up, with the recipient receiving $5000, and two merit award winners will receive $1000 sponsored by Friends of Waikato Museum and Random Art Group.
The $250 Campbell Smith Memorial People’s Choice Award winner will be decided by public votes during the exhibition season.
The winners will be decided in situ at Waikato Museum and announced at an awards ceremony on 2 August.
“For those that didn’t make it, I’d encourage them to try again next year, and for the finalists, I look forward to seeing them in the flesh to make my final decision,” says Pardington. “It’s going to be a wonderful exhibition and I thank the artists for their efforts in entering.”
The finalists for the 2019 National Contemporary Art Award are:
Carrie Andrews, Cambridge
Claudia Avril, Hamilton
Caryline Boreham, Auckland
Jen Bowmast, Motueka
Matthew Browne, Auckland
Trish Campbell, Auckland
Hikalu Clarke and Wilson Ong, Auckland
Geoffrey Paul Clarke, Hamilton
Andrea du Chatenier, Whanganui
Russ Flatt, Auckland
Cat Fooks, Auckland
Aaron Frater, Wellington
Jo Giddens, Whanganui
Ayesha Green, Dunedin
Jacquelyn Greenbank, Christchurch
Thomas Hancock, Lower Hutt
Weilun Ha, Auckland
Arie Hellendoorn, Lower Hutt
Jane Johnson-Matua, Rotorua
Marilyn Jones, Wellington
Jonathan Kay, Wellington
Andrew Keall, Northland
Teresa HR Lane, Auckland
Tim Larkin, Wellington
Jae Hoon Lee, Auckland
Kate Lepper, Wellington
Kate Leslie, Wellington
Christina Little, Tawa
Johnathan Lovering, Wellington
Gina Matchitt, Wellington
Alice McDonald, Whanganui
Julian McKinnon, Auckland
Sam Mitchell, Auckland
Chris Mules, Thames
Ashton Lexie Northcott, Napier
Gerry Parke, Auckland
Robyn Penn, Johannesburg (double finalist)
Oleg Polounine, Auckland
Amy Potenger, Auckland
Andrew Rankin, Auckland
Michelle Reid, Auckland
Danae Ripley, Auckland
Micheline Robinson, Paraparaumu
Mandy Rodger, Auckland (double finalist)
Cathy Tuato'o Ross, Whangarei
Kirsten Smith, Auckland
Matthew Turner, Hamilton
Gene Paul Walker, Gisborne
Laura Williams, Auckland
Jana Wood, Auckland
Cole Zeal, Wellington