Rotorua students' chance to win $10,000 art scholarship

Rotorua Museum education team with WWI Art Competition 2018. Photo/Supplied

Rotorua Museum is giving Rotorua high school students the chance to win a $10,000 scholarship prize by creating visual art.

This visual art is to be based on the story of a Rotorua person who served in the Great War.

Students will select someone from a list of people who have been researched and will be asked to interpret an aspect of their story through one of seven visual art mediums – painting, print making, sculpture, moving image, photography, digital or mixed media.

Rotorua Museum's head of education Emma Liley said it was important to continue passing on knowledge of WWI.

"Stories about the remarkable young men and women of Rotorua who served aren't necessarily well known and we think it's time their stories were told – especially with this being the last year of the centenary commemorations."

Rotorua Museum education team, Rotorua Library Te Aka Mauri heritage and research staff, WWI researcher Andrew Monk and Rotorua Lakes Council kairangahau research specialist Ben Manley spent months investigating 18 people from Rotorua who played an important role in the Great War.

They range from soldiers, nurses and medics, to concert performers.

The competition is open to students in Year 9 to 13 who attend schools within the Rotorua district with a dedicated art teacher or art department.

Entries need to be given to art teachers by 5pm on Wednesday April 4.

Schools will select six finalist entries that will form The Art of Remembering - Te Pu o Mahara exhibition which will be on display at The Arts Village from April 20 to May 25, encompassing ANZAC Day.

Judges will select a Supreme Winner Award from the finalists.

The winner will be awarded a scholarship for further study to the value of $10,000 as well as a day trip with their art teacher to Wellington to visit The Scale of Our War exhibition at Te Papa and a tour of Weta Workshop.

Finalists will also have the opportunity to win Excellence in Art Awards of $1000 scholarships towards further study, and participating high schools will each receive a $1000 voucher from National Art Supplies.

The competition is possible thanks to the generous support of the Ngati Whakaue Education Endowment Trust which sponsored the prizes.

Ngati Whakaue Education Endowment Trust board chairman Monty Morrison said the trust was pleased to support this initiative organised by the Rotorua Museum education team.

"Recognising the many brave people who served in the Great War is extremely important as many are related to our Ngati Whakaue learners.

"The board look forward to seeing our talented rangatahi interpreting their stories through visual art mediums."

Students who are interested in finding out more about the competition should speak to their school art departments or visit www.rotoruamuseum.co.nz.