Pātaka Curator Alice Masters checks over on of the competition entries
Artists from across Porirua have painted, sculpted and moulded their way to producing more than 80 artworks for this year’s Friends of Pātaka competition.
The annual event, now in its sixth year, is open to any artists who are living, working or studying in Porirua, who have produced a piece of art in the last twelve months.
The works will be displayed at Pātaka Art + Museum’s Bottle Creek gallery, in six different prize categories, with most available for sale once the judging is over on 6 September.
Friends of Pātaka Secretary Meryll Evans said the competition was growing in strength with every passing year.
“This time around we have notched up a total of 86 entries overall. We have got a really eclectic mix of entries this year, many of them by amateur artists but a few produced by professionals."
Evans said that this year there was an new award category for first-time entrants, which had been well supported with a significant number of new entries.
Porirua’s artists had also let their creative juices flow, with submitted artworks as varied as a suit of armour made entirely of interconnected pieces of old biscuit tins, stones painted to resemble croissants and fruit, and a wide range of paintings.
"The top prize includes an artist getting a two week residence for their work here at Pātaka."
One lucky winner would also scoop a scholarship to the Learning Connexion School of Creativity and Art in Lower Hutt, to study for a six-month Level Four Certificate Programme at the school.
The six competition prizes were the $1,000 Open Award, the Highly Commended Award, the Jane Hyder Painting Award, The First Entry Award, the Creativity and Promise Award and the Viewer's Choice Award.
The judging will be held on 6 September at Pātaka Art + Museum.
Entry into the competition was $10 for students and $20 for all other entrants. The money raised goes to the Friends of Pātaka who use it to support the gallery and its communities in many different ways.
6 Sep 2018
