Fieldays No.8 Wire National Art Award winner to be announced this week

29 June 2020

The 2020 Fieldays No.8 Wire National Art Award, worth $5,000, will be presented on Thursday night (2 July) by this year’s judge, New Zealand sculptor James Wright, at ArtsPost in Hamilton.

Twenty-eight finalist works started arriving into ArtsPost’s safe-keeping today for final judging on Thursday.  The exhibition of all finalist works will then open to the public on Friday 3 July.

The works range from sculptural representations of poi and piupiu to representations of landscapes and New Zealand’s rural environment.

Artists’ descriptions reveal inspirations that range from Salvador Dali to Andy Warhol, and from the changing face of farming to memories of road trips and the New Zealand landscape.

Mr Wright says, “This year’s finalists have turned one of our most practical farming supplies into artworks that demonstrate great creativity and imagination.”

Waikato Museum Director, Cherie Meecham, says, “It’s a privilege to manage and host the Award. Thanks to the New Zealand National Fieldays Society it has developed into a landmark on the New Zealand art scene.”

Momentum Waikato are sponsoring the Award for the first time this year.  The overall winner will receive $5,000 and the second and third place-getters will receive $800 and $300 respectively.

Details of the upcoming exhibition, which runs until 3 August, are available on the Waikato Museum website www.waikatomuseum.co.nz

For more information, and photo available, please contact:

Crystal Beavis
Partnerships and Communications Manager
Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato
ph 07-974-0535, 0275-957-927
crystal.beavis@hcc.govt.nz