Horizons Regional Council launches art competition focused on nature

Horizons Regional Council has launched an art competition. Photo / Unsplash

The environment and nature are the prompts for a new art competition.

Horizons Regional Council has launched a creative arts competition, asking budding artists and writers to show how nature impacts their wellbeing.

The district’s creatives can enter artwork, photographs from within the region or a short story and poem. The competition has three age groups - 13 and under, 18 and under, and open (18-plus), with each category winner to have their work published in Horizons’ SoE report and will receive vouchers to spend at local book and art stores of their choice.

Winners in the school-aged categories will receive vouchers for art and book supplies to pass on to their school. The overall winner will then be selected by an online public vote, with their entry published on the report’s front cover.

Horizons Regional Council science manager Dr Amy Lennard said the entries will help with the five-yearly Horizons’ State of the Environment (SoE) report.

“Our staff are in the process of developing our next State of Environment Report, which will also highlight the important role of the environment to our wellbeing. That is where this competition comes in. Our environment is often a source of inspiration for arts and design. So, by asking our community to share how nature contributes to their lives via artwork, we can share these creative insights with the wider public in our upcoming report.”

Lennard said nature contributes to people’s wellbeing in many ways.

“Nature provides us with more than resources – it supports our physical, mental and emotional health, our way of life, and our cultural identities. So, we encourage our community get their creative juices flowing and share with us how nature contributes to their wellbeing. The environment might support your cultural identity, and employment or even provide you with a place to play and explore. Alternatively, it could be a place to collect kai, or just feel at peace.”

She said staff are looking forward to seeing entries come in, to get a glimpse of how the community views the connection between environment and wellbeing.

“Whether entries come from a budding photographer, someone studying art at school, an avid writer, or someone who loves to paint on the weekends, as long as we can take an image of the artwork or writing to include in our report, it can be included as an entry.”

Further information and entry details for Horizons’ creative arts competition can be found on the Horizons Regional Council website. Entries close Thursday, September 5, 4pm.