Art takes No 8 wire over fence

Entries for the Fieldays No 8 Wire National Art Awards are now open and, with a cash first prize double that of last year, organisers are looking forward to the ingenious and unique exhibits that the awards are known to attract.

Held annually around the Fieldays event, the art awards challenge artists to create artworks using predominantly No 8 Wire.

The awards have become a highlight on the national art calendar, offering artists the opportunity to turn their hand to something unique while pushing the physical and conceptual boundaries of the iconic Kiwi agricultural product.

Judging the 2014 competition is acclaimed sculptor Greer Twiss, who has exhibited for more than 50 years and was one of the first New Zealand artists to work in cast bronze.

Once called New Zealand’s ‘‘Godfather’’ of contemporary sculpture, in 2002 he was made an Officer of the Order of Merit for sculpture in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Twiss said he is looking forward to judging.

‘‘No 8 wire is an iconic concept material. The romantic implications of its use go way beyond the reality of the farm fence. The influence of materials that carry associations far from art interests me greatly – this is one of those materials. I am a maker and this material is all about making and making do.’’

The New Zealand National Fieldays Society is proud to partner with the Waikato Museum and ArtsPost Galleries & Shop to organise the No 8 National Art Award. Waikato Museum director Cherie Meecham welcomes the opportunity to work with Fieldays again.

‘‘Waikato Museum and Fieldays have redeveloped the iconic Fieldays No 8 Wire National Art Award to ensure its ongoing success. We look forward to working with them and judge Greer Twiss to present a must-see award exhibition at ArtsPost in June this year.’’

With an impressive prize pool up for grabs, organisers are expecting a significant number of exciting entries.

The art awards prizegiving ceremony will be held on Thursday June 5, 6pm at ArtsPost Galleries & Shop, part of the Waikato Museum arts precinct on Victoria St, Hamilton.

A free public exhibition will be held at ArtsPost from Friday, June 6 to Monday, July 7.