The 2020 Fieldays No.8 Wire National Art Award, worth $5,000, will be presented on Thursday night (2 July) by this
year’s judge, New Zealand sculptor James Wright, at ArtsPost in Hamilton.
Twenty-eight finalist works started arriving into ArtsPost’s safe-keeping today for final judging on Thursday. The
exhibition of all finalist works will then open to the public on Friday 3 July.
The works range from sculptural representations of poi and piupiu to representations of landscapes and New Zealand’s
rural environment.
Artists’ descriptions reveal inspirations that range from Salvador Dali to Andy Warhol, and from the changing face of
farming to memories of road trips and the New Zealand landscape.
Mr Wright says, “This year’s finalists have turned one of our most practical farming supplies into artworks that
demonstrate great creativity and imagination.”
Waikato Museum Director, Cherie Meecham, says, “It’s a privilege to manage and host the Award. Thanks to the New Zealand
National Fieldays Society it has developed into a landmark on the New Zealand art scene.”
Momentum Waikato are sponsoring the Award for the first time this year. The overall winner will receive $5,000 and the
second and third place-getters will receive $800 and $300 respectively.
Details of the upcoming exhibition, which runs until 3 August, are available on the Waikato Museum website www.waikatomuseum.co.nz