Entries Open For Fieldays No.8 Wire National Art Award

The annual call for Kiwi creatives to flex their skills has arrived. The Fieldays No.8 Wire National Art Award is a renowned competition challenging artists from across New Zealand to transform the iconic agricultural product, No.8 wire, into inspiring art. The prize pool is worth nearly $10,000, and entries for the annual awards are now open.

Hosted by Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato and supported by the New Zealand National Fieldays Society, the event has seen incredible talent manipulate the infamously difficult product into stunning works for sale.

Approaching its 25th year, the Award is now recognised as a celebration of true ingenuity. In 2022, the competition will be judged by carver, sculptor, and multi-disciplinary artist Eugene Kara.

With iwi affiliations to Ngāti Koroki Kahukura, Ngāti Pāhauwera, Ngāti Tīpā, Ngāti Kōata, Ngā Rauru, Te Ātihaunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Arawa, and Ngāti Kahungunu, Eugene has been a practicing artist for 30 years. In his time at the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute (NZMACI) in Rotorua, Eugene has established Te Ahi Komau, New Zealand’s first Māori foundry and bronze casting facility.

“It’s an honour to have Eugene on board to select the finalists and eventual winners of this year’s award,” says Liz Cotton, Director of Museum and Arts, Waikato Museum. “His artworks are recognised and admired around the region, including the commanding tekoteko column beside the Cambridge exit of the Waikato Expressway.”

“Fieldays is an iconic event and Waikato Museum is proud to be associated with it through the No. 8 Wire Award.”

The New Zealand National Fieldays Society President James Allen says: “Over the years, we have been privileged to witness many artists work through these awards. We’re proud to continue our support providing a platform for expression of creativity and the grass-roots of agriculture in New Zealand, whilst also connecting a community of like-minded individuals.”

A digital judging platform will be used to review photos and select the finalists. This platform also keeps the entrant identities confidential, enabling the judges to focus solely on the art. The winner will receive $7,000, and prizes of $1,000 and $500 for the second and third place respectively. Further prizes are also awarded for People’s Choice and President’s Choice.

The award culminates in a month-long exhibition at Hamilton’s ArtsPost Galleries & Shop, opening this year on Friday 22 April.

2022 competition details:

• First prize: $7,000
• Second prize: $1,000
• Third prize: $500
• President’s Choice: $100 ArtsPost voucher
• People’s Choice: $100 ArtsPost voucher
• Entries close: 1pm, Monday 14 March 2022
• Finalists notified: Week of 21 March 2022
• Winners announced/award ceremony: 5.30pm, Thursday 21 April 2022
• Exhibition: Friday 22 April – Monday 23 May 2022
• Venue: ArtsPost, 120 Victoria Street, Hamilton. Open daily 10am – 5pm.

To read the competition criteria and access the entry form, go to www.waikatomuseum.co.nz/no8wire.

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