Student art exhibition, auction set to open this week

10 April 2017

Student art exhibition, auction set to open this week

A compelling new exhibition is set to open at Creative Waikato this week and the public can bid on the artworks and vote for their favourite on Facebook.

All 66 entries in the Paterson Burn Optometrists’ 2017 Excellence in Art Competition will be on display at Creative Waikato at 131 Alexandra St, Hamilton, from Wednesday, April 12.

The competition, which was launched by Paterson Burn Optometrists in 2013, was open to all Year 12 and 13 art students attending secondary schools or who are home schooled in the Waikato, Coromandel, Newmarket and surrounding suburbs of Auckland.

This year’s theme is ‘The world through the eyes of another – past, present, future’. Artists were asked to choose any person living, dead or fictional and tell a story through their eyes using paint and mixed media on canvas.

“We are delighted to see so many entries this year,” said Paterson Burn Optometrists director Adrian Paterson.

“The calibre of work these young artists have produced is outstanding and I’m sure people will enjoy the exhibition immensely.”

From April 12, the public can bid on the artworks at www.patersonburn.co.nz/art. Students will receive 80 per cent of the sale and 20 per cent will be donated to Diabetes NZ Waikato.

The online auction closes on Wednesday, May 3 at 8pm. Any works that don’t sell online will be auctioned off at the competition’s awards presentation at Creative Waikato on Thursday, May 4.

The public can also vote for their favourite entry on Paterson Burn’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/PatersonBurnOptometrists. The entry with the most votes will receive a People’s Choice award.

This year’s judges are three highly respected Waikato art personalities, Nancy Caiger, Steph Chalmers and Yaniv Janson.

Nancy is the chair of MESH Sculpture Hamilton and was pivotal in bringing celebrated New Zealand artist Michael Parekowhai’s ‘Tongue of the Dog’ sculpture to Hamilton. Nancy has been involved in various art community projects and groups to help develop local art and community participation.

Both an artist and a collector, Nancy’s works can be found in public and private collections around the world.

Steph Chalmers is the art collection curator at the University of Waikato where she manages the University’s art collection and the exhibition programme for the Calder & Lawson Gallery at the Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts.

Raglan artist Yaniv Janson has won international and local recognition for his work. Yaniv was the youngest artist invited into the NZ Academy of Fine Arts after being selected as a finalist for the National Contemporary Art Awards and the James Wallace Trust Art Award.

First prize is $1000 ($500 to the student, $500 to school), second prize is $600 ($300 to student, $300 to school) and third prize is $400 ($200 to student, $200 to school).

The entries will be on display at Creative Waikato from April 12 until May 5. They will also be displayed at Paterson Burn Optometrist practices from May 8-12.

All media inquiries to: Dani Nicholson, phone 021 225 0012 email dani@dynamicmedia.co.nz

The following schools have entered the competition:

Auckland Grammar School
Auckland International College
Epsom Girls
Hamilton’s Fraser High School
Hamilton Boys’ High School
Hamilton Christian School
Hamilton Girls’ High School
Hillcrest High School
Matamata College
Morrinsville College
Sacred Heart Girls College
Selwyn College
St Cuthbert's College
Te Aroha College
Te Awamutu College
Waikato Diocesan School for Girls
Waiuku College (first time entrant)
Whangamata Area School
ends

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