Winner of Fieldays No. 8 Wire National Art Awards 2011 announced

Auckland artist Donna Sarten was announced as the winner of the Fieldays No. 8 Wire National Art Awards 2011 during an awards function at ArtsPost Art Galleries and Shop last night.

As the winner Sarten receives $4000 in prize money for her entry ‘Unsolved’, with second place recipient William Jameson from Napier receiving $1500 for ‘Wire Waka’ and third place getter Gaye Jurisich from Hamilton receiving $1000 for ‘Phasmida’.

The winning entries will now be exhibited alongside the other 12 finalists at Hamilton’s ArtsPost Art Galleries and Shop until 18 July.

ArtsPost Galleries and Waikato Museum are proud to once again be organising this annual event, which challenges artists to create a sculpture made predominantly with no. 8 wire. The award, which has become renowned for the inventive and unique entries it attracts, is held in conjunction with Fieldays at Mystery Creek Events Centre and is generously sponsored by New Zealand National Agricultural Fieldays.

Independent curator, arts consultant and writer Dr Carole Shepheard judged the 2011 awards and said the artists in this year’s group have been chosen for their ability to shift the focus from the inherent qualities of the material itself, to expressing fresh and individual concepts that push past the expected.

“The artists selected for this exhibition have bought a level of sophistication to the task of working with No.8 wire. They have found clever ways to impose control where needed but not to entirely deny its origins in the history of Aotearoa, New Zealand,” she said.

Fieldays Society President Lloyd Downing said he is impressed with the innovative entries that these awards attract.

“The artists’ skill and creativity astounds year after year with fresh and innovative sculptures created from the iconic farming material. Innovation is imperative to Fieldays and we are extremely proud to sponsor the ingenious No.8 Wire Art Awards.”

This year’s finalists are:

Robert Marshall

Te Awamutu

Gaye Jurisich

Hamilton

Rafael De Armas

Auckland

Irene Wilcocks

Waihi

Aaron McConchie

Auckland

Fiona Clark & Cath Evans

Taranaki

Donna Sarten

Auckland

John van Beek

Lake Tekapo (South Island)

Di Tocker

Ohaupo

Arthur Mahutariki

Ngaruawahia

William Jameson

Napier

Rob Kear

Raglan

Anna Byford

Hamilton

Murray Swan

Auckland

Gina Ferguson

Auckland

About the judge: Dr Carole Shepheard was a Professor of Fine Arts at The University of Auckland until 2007.

She has exhibited both nationally and internationally, and has art in many major New Zealand collections such as the Auckland Art Gallery and Te Papa Tongarewa.

In 1991 Dr Shepheard was made a Commonwealth International Woman of the Year and in 2004 gained her Doctorate of Fine Arts.