Kina Country art on show

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 5, Issue 24, 10 November 1987, Page 2

Kina Country art on show

Entries for the Central King Country Visual Arts Trust awards closed on Friday 16 October. At closing date 298 entries h a d been received from 129 exhibitors. Entries were invited in the three media categories of painting, graphics and photography. Painting has proved the most popular category with 172 entries followed by photography with 108. Entries have been much lower than expected in graphics, totaling 18 entries. The Exhibition of award entries will open in Taumarunui on Saturday 21 November, and will be open each day between

10 am and 4pm until Wednesday 2 December. Of the three subject divisions the 'Park and Rivers of the Region' has proved the most popular, drawing 137 entries - 79 painting 51 photography. The 'Landscape of the Region' subject division attracted 118 entries - 74 painting and 38 photography. The third subject division The Towns and Townships of the Region' was not as well supported, with 4 3 entries. In this subject division there was an equal number of entries in painting and photography, 19 in each. In the graphics section the entries were almost equally divided among the

three subject divisions. Entries have been sent from all over New Zealand, from Oamaru, Dunedin and Franz Josef in the South to Whangarei in the North. Of the 129 entrants 31, just under a quarter of the total, live in the area defined by the Trust as the 'Central King Country'. "This is a very pleasing level of local support", says the Trust's Secretary Michael Turner. "However it is also very gratifying that this inaugural Award has drawn such wide support from the rest of the country, especially when it is remembered all the entries must feature the Central King Country in some way."

The top award is a grant of $5000 for a painting "which best captures any aspect of life, atmosphere and environment in the Central King Country." There are nine further awards of $1000 each. There is an award in each of the three media - painting, graphics and photography in each of the three subject divisions. "The Trust is very pleased with this response to its inaugural award and is looking forward to a very successful exhibition season," Mr Turner said. "With a full range of festival activities programmed to coincide with our exhibition, Taumarunui should be an exciting place to visit."