Tuesday, September 7, 2010

MAJOR NEW ZEALAND ART AWARDS ANNOUNCED

The Winners of the 19th Wallace Art Awards 2010 were announced last night at the Pah Homestead at the TSB Bank Wallace Arts Centre. The Awards, amounting to over $160,000, are the longest surviving and largest of their kind in New Zealand. They differ from other important New Zealand art prizes in that they aim to provide challenging opportunities and broadening experiences to the four major winners by way of residencies at top-class international institutions.

This year there were over 400 applications received, with 106 chosen as finalists. The judges were three distinguished New Zealand artists- Philip Trusttum, Sara Hughes and Peter Gibson-Smith. The Awards were presented by the Hon. John Banks QSO, Mayor of Auckland City. It was the first year that these ceremonies were conducted at the historic Pah Homestead, the new permanent home of the Wallace Arts Trust that opened to the public in August this year.

The 2010 Winners

The Wallace Arts Trust Paramount Award Winner - Sam Mitchell

The winner receives a six month residency at the International Studio and Curatorial Program in New York, and a bronze trophy by Terry Stringer.

The Kaipara Foundation Wallace Arts Trust Award Winner - Glen Hayward
The winner receives a three month residency at Altes Spital in Solothurn, Switzerland.

Fulbright-Wallace Arts Trust Award Winner - Mark Braunias
The winner receives a three month residency at the Headlands Centre for the Arts in Sausalito, USA.

The Wallace Arts Trust Development Award Winner - Graham Fletcher
The winner receives a two month residency at the Vermont Studio Center, USA.

First Runner-up Award Winner - Simon Esling
The winner receives $2000

Second Runner-up Award Winner - Iain Cheesman
The winner receives $2000

Jury Award - Robyn Hoonhout

The People's Choice Award will be announced following the conclusion of the Exhibition of Winners and Selected Finalists at TheNewDowse

The Exhibitions of Winners and Finalists

The Exhibition of Winners and Selected Finalists is on display from 7 September to 3 October at the TSB Bank Wallace Arts Centre, Pah Homestead, 72 Hillsborough Road, Auckland. The Centre is open Tuesday to Friday from 11am - 4pm, and Saturday, Sunday and public holidays from 10am - 5pm.

The Exhibition of Winners and Selected Finalists will travel to TheNewDowse, 45 Laings Road, Lower Hutt, Wellington, and will be open to the public from 22 October to 28 November. TheNewDowse is open Monday to Friday from 10am - 4.30pm and Saturday and Sundays from 10am - 5pm. For more information visit www.newdowse.org.nz.

The Salon des Refuses of those finalists not selected for the travelling exhibition will be on display at the TSB Bank Wallace Arts Centre from 7 September to 31 October. This is the first year that both the travelling Exhibition of Winners and Selected Finalists and the Salon des Refusés are being exhibited at the same venue.