Last year's winner of the Fieldays No.8 Wire National Art Award, Auckland artist Gina Ferguson, with her work Wear n' tear. Photo / Supplied
Last year's winner of the Fieldays No.8 Wire National Art Award, Auckland artist Gina Ferguson, with her work Wear n' tear. Photo / Supplied
The annual call for Kiwi creatives to flex their skills has arrived with the Fieldays No.8 Wire National Art Award, and Rotorua-based artist Eugene Kara has the tough job of judging.
The Fieldays No.8 Wire National Art Award is a renowned competition challenging artists from throughout New Zealand to transform the iconic agricultural product, No.8 wire, into inspiring art.
The prize pool is worth nearly $10,000, and entries for the annual awards are now open.
Hosted by Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato and supported by the New Zealand National Fieldays Society, the event has seen incredible talent manipulate the infamously difficult product into stunning works for sale.
Approaching its 25th year, the award is now recognised as a celebration of true ingenuity.
This 25th year of the competition will be judged by carver, sculptor, and multi-disciplinary artist Eugene Kara.
With iwi affiliations to Ngāti Koroki Kahukura, Ngāti Pāhauwera, Ngāti Tīpā, Ngāti Kōata, Ngā Rauru, Te Ātihaunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Arawa, and Ngāti Kahungunu, Eugene has been a practising artist for 30 years.
In his time at the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute (NZMACI) in Rotorua, Eugene has established Te Ahi Komau, New Zealand's first Māori foundry and bronze casting facility.
Rotorua-based artist Eugene Kara will be judging the Fieldays No.8 Wire National Art Award. Photo / Supplied
"It's an honour to have Eugene on board to select the finalists and eventual winners of this year's award," says Liz Cotton, director of Museum and Arts, Waikato Museum.
"His artworks are recognised and admired around the region, including the commanding tekoteko column beside the Cambridge exit of the Waikato Expressway.
"Fieldays is an iconic event and Waikato Museum is proud to be associated with it through the No.8 Wire Award."
New Zealand National Fieldays Society president James Allen says, "Over the years, we have been privileged to witness many artists' work through these awards".
"We're proud to continue our support providing a platform for expression of creativity and the grassroots of agriculture in New Zealand, whilst also connecting a community of like-minded individuals."
A digital judging platform will be used to review photos and select the finalists.
This platform also keeps the entrant identities confidential, enabling the judges to focus solely on the art.
The winner will receive $7000, and prizes of $1000 and $500 for the second and third place respectively. Further prizes are also awarded for People's Choice and President's Choice.
The award culminates in a month-long exhibition at Hamilton's ArtsPost Galleries & Shop, opening this year on Friday, April 22.
To read the competition criteria and access the entry form, go to www.waikatomuseum.co.nz/no8wire.
2022 competition details • Entries close 1pm, Monday, March 14 • Finalists notified week of March 21 • Winners announced/award ceremony, Thursday, April 21 • Exhibition, Friday, April 22 to Monday, May 23
