Miles Art Awards 2018 

16 June - 2 September 2018 

2018 Miles Art Awards winners with judge Nigel Borrel
This is the fifth instalment of our much anticipated biennial awards and exhibition at Tauranga Art Gallery.
 
The finalists and award winners exhibition features 39 diverse works from Bay of Plenty artists. The exhibition is on now at Tauranga Art Gallery until September 2, 2018. 
 
The supreme award winner (announced at the exhibition opening on June 15, 2018) was won by Tawhai Rickard for his sculpture work titled Victorian Waka of Social Curiosities. Rickard took away a $10,000 cash prize thanks to the generous support of the Venetta Miles Trust. This is the largest financial accolade that has been presented at the awards since it began in 2010.
Supreme award winner, Tawhai Rickard's sculpture work titled Victorian Waka of Social Curiosities

Cat Thompson won the Friends of Tauranga Art Gallery Award and $1000 prize money for her ceramic work titled I cede to you. The Mayor’s Award of $500 was awarded to Darcell Apelu for her work titled To Secure My Place I Must Leave. And Lynette Fisher, with her work titled My Friend Awhina, 1981, took out the Ethel MacMillan Award and $250 prize money.
 
The Incubator Emerging Artist Award, a new award created in 2018, was awarded to Isaac Crowe for his work titled Angela of Makawe. The prize for this award is the opportunity to exhibit at the Incubator Gallery. This is part of the Incubator Creative Hub initiative titled FIRST SOLO, an emerging artists exhibition series.

Bay of Plenty Times People's Choice Award
Vote for your favourite work in the exhibition by August 5, 2018. Votes will be counted on August 7, 2018 and the work with the most votes wins!

Prizes: 

Miles Supreme Award – $10,000

Friends of Tauranga Art Gallery Award – $1000 

The Mayor’s Award – $500

Ethel MacMillan Award – $250

The Incubator Emerging Artist Award – Opportunity to exhibit at the Incubator Gallery*

Bay of Plenty Times People’s Choice Award – Profile in the Bay of Plenty Times vibe publication on Aug 16, 2018

*The winner will exhibit work as part of the Incubator Creative Hub initiative titled FIRST SOLO, including an introduction and alignment with a ‘one on one’ mentor, the cost of the production and exhibition delivery, experienced curatorial service, significant press coverage, marketing and audience building campaign, collective mentorship from the wider Incubator Creative Hub community, a highly promoted opening night event and three weeks display in the Incubator Gallery.

Judge for the 2018 Miles Art Awards, Nigel Borell, at the Auckland Art Gallery

2018 Judge:

Auckland Art Gallery Maori Art Curator Nigel Borell judged the judge of the 2018 Miles Art Awards.

Borell was impressed with the diversity, vitality and brilliance of the award entries, saying “The pursuit of excellence and quality is surely one of the goals for any artist and there are some outstanding examples of this idea in the 2018 nominees.”

Nigel Borell has more than 13 years’ experience in the Maori visual arts. He joined the Auckland Art Gallery - Toi o Tāmaki in 2015, following roles with the Auckland War Memorial Museum and as Māori Arts Manager for Auckland Council – South. Borell is also the current chair of the New Zealand-national Māori visual arts committee Te Ātinga, Toi Māori Aotearoa.

Rex Homan's sculpture The Silent One, People's Choice winner of the 2016 Miles Art Awards.

Important Dates: 

  • Delivery of works by courier must arrive no later than Thursday 7 June 2018, 4pm 
  • All hand delivered artworks must arrive on Thursday 7 June 2018, between 12noon – 4pm or Friday 8 June 2018, between 10am – 12noon 
  • Official Opening and Awards: Friday 15 June, 5.30pm Tauranga Art Gallery 
  • Exhibition Dates:  16 June – 2 September 2018 open daily from 10am–4.30pm 
  • All entrants whose work has not been selected will receive an email by 5pm on Monday 11 June 2016 and will need to come in and collect their works from Tauranga Art Gallery on: Wednesday 13 June 2018, 12.30pm – 5.30pm
  • Exhibited works to be collected at the end of the exhibition period (if unsold) from Tauranga Art Gallery on: Thursday 6 September 2018, 12noon – 4.30pm or Friday 7 September 2018, 10am – 12noon             

Find a copy of the Terms and Conditions here...