Tauranga Society of Artists: Supreme Art Award (2011)

The award was announced at the society’s well attended annual Winter Exhibition opening night last Thursday at Tauranga’s Baycourt exhibition centre.

This year’s standard was exceptionally high with 157 works by 64 artists submitted for selection and up for consideration for the award.

Work submitted for selection must have been completed in the previous 12 months and not been exhibited before. Runner-up this year was Susan Watson with her pastel ‘Surf’s Up’. 

Judging is done by a different, nationally recognised artist each year.

Technique, subject matter and expertise are among the criteria that lead to the final decision and announcement of the winner. 

Susan Harrison Tustain, internationally renowned artist, was the judge for this year’s award. She said that Janice’s work ‘Women Holding Up the Sky’ was well-composed and full of meanings. 

The women look comfortable and relaxed, which is shown by their feet, and there is a sense of solidarity between them. 

The women suggest different ethnicities, and she also invited viewers to look closely at the collage detail in the sky. 

Janice’s winning painting ‘Women Holding  up the Sky’.

‘Women Holding up the Sky’ is a mixed media work including pressed leaves, flowers, clay, seeds, collage, tissue and acrylic mediums. 1020x760mm.

After the Tauranga Society of Artists Winter awards night, the exhibition is open on the following Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and the public have an opportunity to see and purchase paintings from the exhibition. If you haven’t been before it’s well worth looking out for and noting in your arts diary for next year.

To find out more about Janice’s art and contact details visit: www.sunlive.co.nz/blogs/971-janice-giles-preparation-and-process.html

by Pete Morris (2011).

Pete Morris is an occasional painter and art lover with a particular interest in promoting the visual arts in Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty.

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