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The Rodney Art Awards will be presented for the final time in 2018 and organisers plan to finish up in style.
North Rodney Community Arts council chair Joy Bell says the Council plans to dissolve itself following the awards, but will allocate its remaining funds to create a bigger prize pool for award entrants.
Joy says some have served on the council committee for 25 years and it’s been hard to find fresh blood to come in and take over.
At the same time, the council has found it more and more difficult to find funding for publicity and hall hire to display all the exhibits.
The awards have been run annually in the current form since 2010.
Last year, there were 65 entries for the awards and Joy is hoping for double that this year.
She says the people who enter love having their work exhibited in public and love getting constructive feedback from judges.
Both seasoned and novice artists are encouraged to enter and there are plenty of merit prizes for those who miss out on the top prizes.
The theme this year is “Dream on” and entries can be either two or three dimensional. Art will be on display at the Warkworth Bridge Club Rooms on Saturday, October 27, from 10am to 4pm ,and on Sunday, October 28, from 10am to 3pm.
The Bridge Club Rooms are next door to the Warkworth Town Hall on Alnwick Street.
Joy says the newly-renovated rooms make an ideal venue, with lots of light and big windows to display art to those passing in the street.
Award judges have yet to be determined, but Joy anticipates they will be skilled artists from outside Rodney.
Despite the Rodney Art Awards coming to an end, Joy says the art scene in Rodney remains vibrant.
She says north Rodney’s arts and crafts are especially strong with examples of spinning, weaving, quilting and printing figuring prominently in previous shows.
The Rodney Art Awards are open to Rodney residents and ratepayers. Artists wishing to enter the awards should fill out the entry form on page 23, Mahurangi Matters, 13 June 2018 issue.
