Ohakune Art Awards provide sight relief for holidays

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 551, 30 August 1994, Page 11 (Supplement)

Ohakune Art Awards provide sight relief for holidays

More than 140 entries from 75 artists have arrived for convenors of the 16th annual Ohakune Art Awards (formerly the Turoa Art Awards). A special preview of the exhibition is to be held this Sunday, 4 September at the Ohakune Primary School hall, starting 1.30pm. Numbers of entries are down slightly on previous years but the response is still plenty to cope with, said convenor Ellen Gould. She said a disappointing factor was the low numbers

of entries in the under- 18 year old artists' awards, with just six received. The number of entries for the Ruapehu District Award was also disappointing, said Mrs Gould. The local award is open to all artists resident in the Ruapehu District. Prize money worth $5000 in total is available for competing artists in categories including oils, watercolour, other medium and life study. The young artist award has attracted much interest in the past with winners

carrying on to successful artistic careers. The premier award of $2000 is the 'Elizabeth Baigent Memorial Award' , in recognition of the efforts of Mrs Baigent inkeeping the awards going. She was the anonymous donor of a large proportion of the prize money for many years. This year's judge is art tutor Robert Bassant from the Academy Art School in Wellington. He has experience as an art director and freelance designer internationally.