Sarjeant Gallery Arts Review winners announced

Judge Karl Chitham with the Whanganui Arts Review Open Award winning work by Kathryn Wightman. Photo/Stuart Munro

The names of the 2018 Sarjeant Gallery Te Whare o Rehua Whanganui Arts Review Award winners have been announced.

Winners' names were made public at a function at the Whanganui War Memorial on Friday night.

A Whanganui selection panel chose 117 out of 149 entries to become part of the exhibition now showing at Sarjeant on the Quay.

The winning entries were then chosen by 2018 judge Karl Chitham - director of Tauranga Art Gallery.

"It is not too difficult to decide the winner of each category," he said.

"I look for the piece that keeps drawing me back."

The winner of the $2000 Open Award 2018 is Kathryn Wightman for Breathe made from kiln formed glass using sintered glass powder.

"When I think of Whanganui, I think glass," said Mr Chitham.

"But I didn't know the work was glass until I got really close to it.

"It was the pattern that attracted me - it's like old wallpaper or carpet and I think we all get nostalgic about patterns."

The Central City Pharmacy $1000 Excellence Award went to Lee Morgan for les demoiselles; if only for one night, made with tea bags, acrylic paint and ink.

The Renata's Art & Framing Merit Award went to 12-year-old Oscar Toy, for his pen on paper drawing 042.

"I was really surprised to discover the artist's age," said the judge.

"It looked to me as if it was done by someone with art school training and I liked that it is a drawing because drawings are becoming quite rare.

Kay Benseman, was awarded the Friends of the Sarjeant Gallery Merit Award for her photographic print on archival paper Speak up small red thing (from Jenny Bornholdt's Weighing up the Heart).

The Rivercity Picture Framers Merit Award went to Margaret Silverwood for her pencil, coloured pencil and watercolour on paper work Hover.

Matt Dutton's acrylic on canvas work Plymouth earned him the Recaffeinate Merit Award and the Ceramic Lounge Merit Award went to Jonathon Cuff for his untitled mixed media entry.

The WHMilbank Gallery Merit Award went to Prakash Patel for his acrylic on canvas work Immigrant and Andre Brönnimann received the Whanganui River Traders Merit Award for the oil on linen work Wikitoria.

Tracy Byatt's Beauty is a Fading Flower received the Wanganui Garden Services Ltd Merit Award.

"I thought someone had made a mistake when I read that the flowers are made from sugar," said Mr Chitham.

"They really are made from sugar and they are incredible."

A video entry was chosen as the winner of this year's Wanganui District Council Youth Committee Youth Recognition Award.

Lily Claypole is the recipient of that award with her MP4 file on flash drive entry Through a Glass Darkly.

The 2018 Whanganui Arts Review is now in its 30th year, making it the longest running event of its type in the country.

The Whanganui Arts Review Award finalists' work is open for viewing at Sarjeant on the Quay and the exhibition will run until May 13.