Golden C'Art Exhibition Group
P.O.Box 105
Carterton
Secretary : Alan Knowles (06)379 8649
Publicity: (025)604 6580, email: artscape @xtra.co.nz
Facing the Music
The 2000 Golden C'Art
National Art Awards and Exhibition
Carterton
September 9 - 17, 2000
Media Kit
Entries for the "Facing The Music" National Art Awards and Exhibition close on August 30, the last day on which entries
are received at the exhibition hall, Holloway Street, Carterton.
The gala exhibition opening and presentation of awards will be on Friday 8 September at 7.30pm. Sole Selector/judge Judy
Siers will speak to her selection.
This media kit contains 5 media releases
For further details: contact (025)604 6580
Facing The Music National Art Awards and Exhibition 2000
"Facing the music"
Facing The Music is the theme of this year's annual national art exhibition and awards to be held in Carterton from 9 to
17 September. This year's show, promises to make a lasting statement in the dawn of the millennium.
Facing The Music continues the succession of challenging briefs set for artists and craftspeople by this annual
exhibition and awards. The inaugural event in 1996, with the theme "Out of Your Tree", established the national
character of the awards. Over successive years entries have come from artists and craftspeople from throughout the
length and breadth of the country.
The 1999 "At The Turn" show brought a body of entries which allowed selector/judge Jim Viviaere to select a
controversial and invigorating multi-media show, clearly promoting the notion of non-media specific exhibitions. The
"anything goes" invitation to entrants to "paint it, sew it, bake it, just create it..." ensures an exhibition of works
which stretch the definitions of art, re-state the leadership of practitioners at the top of their field, and debut up
and coming talents.
At the Gala Opening on Friday 8 September, sole judge and selector for 2000, Judy Siers will speak to her selection and
announce the winners of the major prize of $3000, and five merit awards of $250.
All works selected for the exhibition will be for sale. The exhibition offers artists the opportunity to present their
work as part of a selected and well mounted show to a wide and interested audience and recoup some of the costs of
making and entering work. The commission from sales assists the Golden C'Art Exhibition Group with meeting ongoing costs
of the event, of which a proportion of the proceeds go to fostering art in the region.
"Facing The Music" National Art Awards and Exhibition 2000
Facing The Music: BACKGROUND INFORMATION
What?
Facing The Music: The 2000 Golden C'Art National Art Awards and Exhibition invites entries from anyone. It's not
restricted to those of the mainstream art world, and it encourages the unorthodox approach to making art which fits the
theme. A major prize of $3000 is offered, along with five merit prizes of $250 each.
Where?
Carterton's Municipal Hall (Holloway Street, Carterton) from 9 to 17 September. The Exhibition and Awards is a
centrepiece of Carterton's Daffodil Carnival which sees the town's population swell as visitors flock to the markets,
tours, daffodil picking and other events mounted for the occasion.
Why?
The awards celebrate Wairarapa region's vibrant art and cultural community, its established artists and craftspeople,
innovative Polytechnic School of Art and Design, and the desire to infuse this aspect of the region's life with an
exhibition of the best the rest of the country can offer.
Who?
Organising the awards and exhibition is the Golden C'Art Exhibition Group (formed in 1995), a non-profit organisation
committed to promoting and encouraging the arts in Wairarapa, bringing together people with expertise in all facets of
the arts, acknowledged practising artists and arts administrators.
The major sponsors of this year's supreme award of $3,000 are Carterton business, Parkvale Mushrooms, supporting the
event since 1996, and the Carterton Community Arts Council.
Another Wairarapa company, Premier Bacon, contributes two of the $250 merit awards, and the Wairarapa Building Society
contributes two more. Ballooning New Zealand will this year sponsor a fifth merit award. The region's Community Arts
Councils support the event, contributing to the costs of organising and promoting it.
"Facing the Music" National Art Awards and Exhibition 2000
THE 2000 SELECTOR AND JUDGE
The sole selector/judge of the Facing The Music National Art Awards and Exhibition 2000 will be Judy Siers.
She joins the corps of leading figures in the New Zealand arts world invited by the Golden C'Art Exhibition Group to be
selector/judges over the history of the event, bringing a unique body of experience as a publisher, writer, documentary
film producer, art dealer and consultant. High among her interests is local history and heritage and her membership of
the Wellington City Council Arts and Culture Grants scheme for 6 years has meant first hand knowledge of the success and
growth of the arts in the region.
Judy Siers has lived in the Wellington area all her life. Her early career was in photography and advertising. In 1967
she established the family publishing business, Millwood Press. In the early 80s, she developed this further as the
Millwood Gallery selling books and art. The gallery is still operating.
"Marketing and promoting art, displaying it and understanding the best ways of bridging the gap between artist and
customer is a special skill and one discovered through trial and error - thankfully with happy conclusions," she says.
Following retirement from Millwood Gallery in 1995, Judy Siers continued a wide involvement in cultural and art
activities in Wellington. Serving since 1995 as an elected councillor (Independent) on the Wellington City Council,
representing the Onslow Ward, her consistent support for the Council's contribution both financially, and in advocacy
roles, to promote the arts reflects her belief that "Support at local government level makes a huge difference, it can
make things happen."
Judy Siers says she has enjoyed seeing the growth of the International Festival of the Arts, the Fringe festival and the
refurbishment of Council owned venues, including the St James and the Opera House, the establishment of the NZ School of
Dance and Drama and the NZ Ballet in their own premises. She served as a founder Trustee on the Wellington Museums Trust
establishing the new Museum of Wellington, City and Sea, that opened last year.
As well as selecting work from the hundreds of entries that the Facing The Music event is expected to attract, Judy
Siers' role as judge involves choosing the supreme award winner and the four merit award winners. She will also have the
challenging task of designing the set-up of the exhibition.
"Facing The Music" National Art Awards and Exhibition 2000
WINNERS FROM PREVIOUS YEARS
1999 "At The Turn" Supreme Award (The Parkvale Mushrooms/ Carterton Community Arts Council Award, $3000):
awarded jointly to Polly Cantlon (Greytown) for her "Do It Yourself Millennium Sunset" (four framed prints, silver
gelatin photography with text) , and Mark Harman (Wellington) for his "Enter" (speech bubble, wood and paint with text).
Sole selector/judge: Jim Vivieaere
1998 "Artyfacts" Supreme Award (The Parkvale Mushrooms Award, $3000):
sculptor Roger Thompson (Greytown) for his "A Container for Precious Things".
Sole selector/judge: Carole Shepheard
1997 "Ugly But Divine" Supreme Award (The Parkvale Mushrooms Award, $3000) :
sculptor John Campbell, Petone, for his "Pekapeka" bronze and steel sculpture.
Sole selector/judge: Heather Busch
1996 "Out of Your Tree" Supreme Award (The 1996 Westpac Award) :
painter Megan Campbell and wood carver Harry Watson (Greytown), "Song of the Green Man" - a decorated and carved
wardrobe with wooden figures.
Sole selector/judge: James Mack
Facing the music National Art Awards and Exhibition 2000
organisers are pleased to assist journalists wishing to cover any aspect of the event. Please contact the Publicity
Officer for further assistance.
Receiving Days and Selection:
from August 30 until 9 September - opportunities to interview individual entrants, preview the set-up of the exhibition.
Photo opportunities can be arranged in advance.
Selector/judge Judy Siers will be present at various times during the week following close of entries during which
selection and judging will be done and the exhibition set-up undertaken. Interviews with Judy Siers can be arranged.
Venue: Carterton Municipal Hall, Holloway Street, Carterton.
Gala Opening and Awards Presentation:
Media representatives are cordially invited to be present at the Gala Opening and Awards Presentation on Friday
September 8. Results will be available by arrangement along with the selector/judge's comments later in the evening of
Friday 8 September. Background material on the supreme prize winner and merit award winners will also be available.
Arrangements will be made to email the results to media requiring these on the evening. Photo opportunities on the
night.
Venue: Carterton Municipal Hall, Holloway Street, Carterton.
The Exhibition:
>From Saturday September 9 to Sunday September 17 - Golden C'Art officials will be available to discuss the
exhibition and arrange photo opportunities. The Carterton Daffodil Carnival on Sunday 10 September is expected to see
the heaviest viewer traffic through the exhibition.
Venue: Carterton Municipal Hall, Holloway Street, Carterton.
Additional Backgrounders
Reprints of articles recording and commenting on the event since 1996 published in The Wairarapa Gallery Newsletter and
artscape are available on request.
ENDS 5/5
Further Information:
Publicity: Steve Oxenham (025)604 6580, fax (06)379 6916, email: artscape@xtra.co.nz cap