Feilding and District Art Society calls for entries for its 2023 Art Awards

Some of the entries in the Feilding and District Art Society's 2022 Art Awards.

Entries are open for the Feilding and District Art Society’s 2023 Art Awards.

Artists from around the country are invited to enter their best new work.

The awards have been running for more than a decade and there is a $6000 prize pool. The prize categories are open to artists working in painting, drawing, photography and sculpture. There is a youth section for artists aged under 21 working in any medium.

The maker of the work judged best across all categories will win the $2000 supreme award.

Previous winners of the supreme award include artists familiar to Manawatū art lovers, including Lisa Taylor in 2022, Melissa Haywood in 2021 and Irene Whittaker in 2020.

The youth award, introduced in 2021, has been won by Chanel Currie and Molly Ratana, with Ratana using her winnings to undertake a fine arts degree at Massey University.

The identities of the two guest judges will be revealed at the end of September. The awards are an opportunity to be seen and recognised by peers working at the highest levels of our creative industries, Feilding Art Centre manager Karis Evans says.

“We’re seeing more and more artists from out of region choosing to enter the show, and have established a precedent for recruiting out-of-region judges with incredible creative track records.

“To host all of that inter-regional talent right here in Feilding is not only a privilege, but also an exciting opportunity to show emerging and potential artists just what’s possible.”

Entries close at 4pm on September 29, with the judges’ selections to be revealed at a prize-giving on October 5. Members of the public are invited to view the exhibition and vote for their pick to receive the people’s choice award from October 6 to 31.

Entry forms and conditions are at feildingartsociety.com/artawards.