The story behind the Art Awards

Ruapehu Bulletin, 7 September 1990, Page 10

The story behind the Art Awards

By

Bea

Barnes

In the winter season of 1979 the Ohakune 3000 Club, founded by the presiding mayor Mr John Gould to further the interest of Ohakune, planned their second winter festival, a two week programme of events to entertain visitors to the town during the August school holidays. The first 'Winter Scene' held the year before had been very successful, beginning with a ski fashion parade and dance to which Mr Warren Cooper the then Minister of Tourism was invited, and closing with a very popular 'Stein Night' beer festival with a Bavarian theme. A second festival was planned along the same lines but with different shows and activities. Talking to a friend Maurice Collier of Rangiwai I asked him if he could suggest something different from that which had been done before. 'Why not a small art exhibition' he suggested. I put this forward at our next committee meeting and it was immediately accepted. 'A good idea Bea. Go for your life', and with the help of my daughter I 'went for my life' for the next six years. The first Turoa Art Award exhibition was held in the old Salvation

Army Hall in Ayr Street, now the premises of 'Benchmark'. The place had been standing empty and had collected years of dust and grime. We washed walls and paintwork, scrubbed the floor and hung a big curtain of dyed hessian over the opening to a less salubrious part of the building. One thing we couldn't hide was the hole in the roof through which the rain dripped to form a big puddle on the floor beneath. We could hardly leave a bucket in the middle of the floor to catch the drips. A garden was suggested. A large sheet of black plastic with red scoria spread over it, some large rocks from the waste land opposite the hall, and the addition of shrubs and pot plants quite transformed the scene. A few new light bulbs to improve the lighting and we were away. Local artists from the King Country area were invited to submit their work and we were surprised and delighted to receive 91 entries from 41 artists. The Wanganui Savings Bank sponsored the award and remained our chief sponsor for the next five years. With their help and with donations from local people we were able to offer an award of $200 for the chosen entry with a run-

ner up prize of a book on water colour. Mr W.A. (Bill) McCormick, himself an established artist and a previous National Bank Award winner agreed to judge the exhibits and at a preview evening for invited guests the exhibition was formally opened by His Worship the Mayor. First Winner Our first award winner was a local artist from Raetihi with a bush scene in oils entitled Tranquility'. The runner up was a Taumarunui artist Mrs Joan Reid with a rural scene entitled 'Old Settler's Hut'. Inspired by our success a further exhibition was planned for the following year, but as the Salvation Army Hall had now become the premises of the 'Mitre 10' group the problem of a venue for the exhibition had to be solved. Fortune smiled upon us and Alan Murdie built his big 'New World' supermarket in Goldfinch Street vacating the former 'Melody's Supermarket' on the corner of Clyde and Goldfinch streets. A good venue in the centre of town and the walls didn't even need scrubbing. One hundred entries from 43 artists were received in our second exhibition, 12 entries being from local artists. Mr Ron Tizzard from the Auckland Society of Fine Arts travelled down

to judge the exhibition and the award of $200 was won by a Fielding artist Mrs Judy Johnstone with an oil colour entitled 'Ship's Creek'. Two runner up prizes were awarded, the first to a Taumarunui artist Miss Lynne Christiansen with 'Feeding the Turkeys' in oils. The second to Mr E. Heeney of Taupo with The River Tweed at Peebles'. The year 1981 had us again searching for a venue for the exhibition. Mr Bruce Wilde had just fmished the new premises for his 'Ohakune Photo Pharmacy' in Goldfinch Street, brand sparkling new, with carpet. Ready to be opened the week after the exhibition, Bruce generously lent us his new shop for the Turoa Art Awards. The Wanganui Savings Bank had increased their sponsorship to the awards and Turoa Skifields sponsored an award for entries with Mt. Ruapehu as the subject. With the help of our faithful band of local donors we again were able to offer an award of $200. Mr Alan Swinton from the Auckland Society of Fine Arts judged Mrs Judy Johnstone's oil colour entitled 'Rangitikei River' as the winner of the Turoa Art Award and Adrienne Rewi of Ashhurst as the runner up with a water colour entitled

'Wellington Harbour'. Adrienne is now a well known artist exhibiting regularly with the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts. Mr Jack Hammond of Wanganui won the Turoa Skifield Award with his oil colour 'Ruapehu From Ratamaire Road'. After the problems experienced each year in finding a suitable venue for the exhibition it was a great relief to all when the Ohakune Club Committee generously offered the use of the upstairs lounge in their new clubrooms to hold the 1982 exhibition. The offer was gratefully accepted and the Ohakune Club lounge became the venue for the exhibition for the next six years. Increased Entries With the increase in entries received and the greater amount of work involved a committee was formed to help with the organisation. Convener/Secretary of this first committee was Mrs Bea Barnes with Mr J. McKenzie from the Wanganui Savings Bank taking the position as Treasurer. Mrs Margaret Horne, Mrs Nita Wilde, Mr D. Harvey and Mr Deryk Browne were committee members. The Wanganui Savings Bank, the Ohakune" Borough Council, Turoa Skifields and the Ohakune Promotions

Association all sponsored an award which had now increased in number to include the WSB Premier Award, The Turoa Skifields Award, the award for oil colour, an award for water colour, an award for work in any other medium and an award for the best entry by an artist who had not previously entered work in any other exhibition. For the third year in succession the major award was won by Mrs Judy Johnstone of Fielding with an oil colour entitled 'TeHoe River Hawke's Bay'. With the increased sponsorship from the Ohakune Borough Council the name of the awards was altered to the Turoa (Ohakune) Art Awards. 1983 and 1984 saw the Art Awards consolidating their position with a further two sponsors, The Junction Ski shop and the Waimarino Bulletin who took over the sponsorship of the first time exhibitor award. The Wanganui Savings Bank and the -Ohakune Borough Council jointly sponsored the Premier Award. Mr Brian Carmody, president of the N.Z. Academy of Fine Arts, judged the 1983 exhibition and the new winner of the Premier Award was Mrs Lyndon Wilson of Otorohanga with her Turn page 11

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Frompage 10 oil colour entitled 'Rangitoto Range'. 1985 heralded further changes. After six years as convener Bea Barnes and her committee member daughter Dorothy decided it was time to stand down and Mrs Ellen Gould and Mrs Margaret Horne became the joint conveners with Mrs Cynthia Dowsett as secretary. The retiring mayor of Ohakune Mr William (Bill) Taylor became the patron of the Art Awards. The mayor of the newly formed Waimarino District Council agreed to formally open the exhibition. Miss Elizabeth Baigent became the sponsor of the premier award which was increased to $1000 and the winner of this award for 1985 was Mr John Scott of Wanganui with 'Sonnet Series Line Seven. Light Denied'. This painting also won the award for work in Any Other Medium. Mr Gordon Pepere of Ohakune won the Waimarino Bulletin Award for the first time exhibitor with a work entitled 'Ruapehu Conquers Pihanga'. $5000 prize Miss Baigent offered to increase her sponsorship of the awards to $5,000 for a period of three years. Two new awards were added for the 1986 exhibition. The Turoa District Award for the best entry by an artist resi- . dent in the Waimarino District which was won in that year by Mr Ashley Watt of Ohakune with an oil painting entitled 'T opene Tememaku Chief of Wanganui'. Mr Tony Arthur (now president) of the N.Z. Academy of Fine Arts judged the exhibition. Miss Baigent sponsored an award to encourage young artists, this to be known as The Barnes Young Artists Award. Owing to lack of entries the award was not made for 1986 but a donation of $500 was

given to Ruapehu College to further interest in the arts. The Premier Award of $1,000 was won by Mr Don Hill of Taupo with a fine oil colour entitled 'High Tide'. With the added sponsorship and the income received in commission from the sale of artists work, the financial position enabled the amount of each award to be increased and the Premier Award was raised to $2,000. '1 Oth award 1988 marked the tenth anniversary of the exhibition and was also the last year that the exhibition was held in the Ohakune Club lounge as a new restaurant was planned for the premises. The end of a wonderful era for the Art Awards. Mr Brian Carmody the retiring president of the N.Z. Academy of Fine Arts judged the exhibition and chose the oil colour by Ellinor Allen of Dannevirke entitled 'Takapou Ruahine Ranges' as the Premier Award winner. Waimarino artist Miss Ngarissa Marsh won the Waimarino Artist's Award with her painting 'Makarou Viaduct'. Kay Palmer of Wanganui taking the award for oil colour with a very striking work entitled 'Chair Four'. A painting by Elva Abbott of Wanganui entitled 'National Park Area' was purchased by the Art Awards committee and accepted by His worship the Mayor Mr Garrick Workman as a gift to the Waimarino District Council. Last year the Awards exhibition was held at the Ohakune Primary $chool hall, which is the 1990 event's venue, and 185 entries were received. The 1989 premier award went to Mrs Pat McGovern of Havelock North for her paintings 'Business Houses' and 'Just Looking'. The judge for the event was Sue Skerman artist, silkscreen printer, designer and teacher.