Impressive display at Turoa Art Awards

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 4, Issue 14, 2 September 1986, Page 1

Impressive display at Turoa Art Awards

Turoa Art Awards judge Tony Arthur from the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts told the audience at the exhibition preview on Sunday night that the judging had been difficult because of the high standard and range of exhibitors. He congratulated the many artist who contributed 160 entries and said that he would like to see them sending entries to the academy in Wellington. The prestigious premier a ward of $ 1 000 went to Don Hill of Taupo for High Tide, a fine oil painted seascape, which Mr Arthur said had a very atmospheric feeling without being at all fiddly. The Turoa district award of $250 went to Ashley Watt of Ohakune for his oil of Topine Temamaku, chief of Whanganui. Mr Arthur commented that this was substantial work. The other awards were: any other medium — an ink composition, Automation by P. Donne of Wanganui, special award of $100 to Ross Whitlock of Wanganui for his acrylic of Castlecliff Port, water colour award of $500 to Ngaire Lourie of Palmerston North for her picture Magnolias, and the oil award to Joyce Atkinson for Winter' 86. Ohakune Mayor Bill Taylor welcomed visitors and exhibitors and said the borough of Ohakune was

delighted to support the awards. He thanked the sponsors: John and Johan Sandford, Trusteebank Wanganui, the Ohakune Borough, and the major sponsor of the premier award Elizabeth Baigent. Mr Taylor said that the Turoa Art Awards was now the pre-eminent regional art award in the coiintry and was a focus for artists outside the main urban centres. He announced that Elizabeth Baigent had decided to greatly increase the level of her sponsorship to $5000 a

year for a minimum of three years which assured the future of the event. "This will also enable a local award to be offered for young artists to help them make further study in the arts," he said. He also thanked the Ohakune Club for generously hosting the exhibition of the awards, Mrs Delamare and her staff, the Ruapehu Lions Club, particularly Jim Cranston and Wally Parkes, Bea and Dot Barnes, the convenor of the event Ellen Gould and her supporting committee, and Tony Arthur for hisjudging.