Media Release: IHC, 2 July 2015
IHC Art Awards open in explosion of colour
Musician and artist Boh Runga was greeted with a riot of colour when she arrived to judge the first round of the IHC Art Awards at Northart Gallery in Auckland on Thursday, 2 July.
Boh Runga picked her top 10 finalists from a strong and colourful field dominated by Auckland artists. Raglan artist Julian Godfrey’s work TUI AND TREE FERN was selected as a finalist and given a highly commended award.
Six Aucklanders made the finals, three from Waikato and one from Rotorua.
The finalists are: Julian Godfery, Raglan, Chris Wills, Waiuku, Chris Thomas, Rotorua, Tiffany Collette, Hamilton, Eddie Liao, Hamilton, Rose Davidson-Feather, Auckland, Amanda Brennan, Auckland, Amy Hall, Auckland, Baldrick Chan, Auckland, Dharmesh Chand, Auckland.
Boh Highly Commended three artists: Julian Godfrey, Chris Wills and Amanda Brennan.
Boh Runga said the colour and vibrancy was amazing. She said she found some of the textile works beautiful.
Boh is one of three judges this year, along with Denise L’Estrange-Corbet, from WORLD fashion, and graphic novelist Dylan Horrocks. Denise will pick a further 10 finalists from the central region in Lower Hutt on 13 July, and Dylan will choose his 10 from among the South Island entrants in Dunedin on 29 July.
The first, second and third prize-winners will then be selected from these 30 finalists and announced at the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington on Thursday 27 August. The winner receives $5000, runner-up $2000 and third-place getter $1000.
A further prize – the People’s Choice Award – will be determined by Facebook voting during August.
All the finalists’ work will be auctioned on the night, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the artists.
See the exhibition:
Northart Gallery, Northcote Shopping Centre, Ernie Mays Street, Auckland from 9 -16 July.