Entry is now open to the National Contemporary Art Award

5 May 2014

Entry is now open to the National Contemporary Art Award, sponsored by Tompkins Wake and Ebbett Audi and managed by Waikato Museum.

The award which promotes and celebrates New Zealand contemporary art is now in its 15th year. Waikato Museum director Cherie Meecham says the Museum is very privileged to host this well-known art award.

“This year we welcome new sponsors and a judge who are as passionate about retaining and developing the National Contemporary Art Award as we are. We have also redeveloped a more streamlined online entry system to make it easier for entrants to showcase their work, and the judge to choose the finalists and the overall winner.”

This year’s judge is Simon Rees, who recently joined the Govett Brewster Art Gallery as director. He was former head of programming and development at MAK – Austrian Museum of Applied Arts/Contemporary Art in Vienna.

“I am glad to be involved as judge of the National Contemporary Art Award as it has been identifying and financially supporting the bleeding-edge of New Zealand contemporary art for the last 15 years.

“It is an honour to add my name to a roll call of leading New Zealand curators, who have judged, and that reflects the status of the awards. As I have recently returned to the country from many years abroad it is a great opportunity for me to see and think about a broad array of national artists’ work in one experience,” he said.

 Entry to the award is now open and will close on 20 June. Entry is online here. The winner and merit award winners will be announced at a gala opening on 8 August at Waikato Museum. The award exhibition will be on show at Waikato Museum from 9 August until 9 November 2014.

The winner of the 2014 National Contemporary Art Award will receive S15,000 from the major sponsors, Ebbett Audi and Tompkins Wake.

For more information follow the award on Facebook .