Judge announced for Fieldays No.8 Wire National Art Award

Judge announced for Fieldays No.8 Wire National Art Award

29 February 2012

Well-known corrugated iron sculptor Jeff Thomson will judge this year’s Fieldays No.8 Wire National Art Award.

The annual award, hosted at Hamilton’s ArtsPost Galleries, challenges artists to create a sculpture from No.8 wire and has become renowned for the ingenious and unique entries it attracts.

Entries are currently open for the 2012 Fieldays No.8 Wire National Art Award and close on Thursday, 26 April. The winner will receive $4000, with second place and third place getters receiving $1500 and $1000 respectively.

ArtsPost Coordinator Marion Manson manages the coordination and installation of the award entries every year.

“This is the sixth year the awards have been at ArtsPost Galleries and we love the connection between art and practicality and the relationship with our agricultural sector via NZ National Agricultural Fieldays who so generously support this award,” she said.

“Jeff Thomson is a very appropriate judge as he is so well versed in the intricacies of working with metal as a medium.”

Jeff Thomson has exhibited throughout Germany, France, Australia and New Zealand, and his work is in many public and private collections worldwide.

Since completing a BFA at Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland in 1981, he has worked predominantly with corrugated iron.

Thomson is currently working on a number of noise walls for highways in northwest Auckland. When completed, this artwork, spanning several hundred metres, will be one of the largest arts projects in the country.

“The quality of work submitted to the Fieldays No.8 Wire National Art Award each year by artists across New Zealand is exceptional and selecting the winning entries is always a challenge,” said Jacqui Cooper, Events Co-ordinator at NZ National Agricultural Fieldays.

Lloyd Downing, Fieldays Society President will again choose his personal favourite for the President’s Choice Award, to be presented along with the major winners at a gala evening opening on Thursday, 7 June. The exhibition will then be on display at ArtsPost Galleries on Hamilton’s Victoria Street from 8 June until 16 July.

Last year Auckland artist Donna Sarten received first place for her entry ‘Unsolved’.

For more information and entry details visit www.artspost.co.nz/no.8wireartaward.

ENDS

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