Trust Waikato National Contemporary Art Award

The Trust Waikato National Contemporary Art Award is an opportunity for New Zealand artists to appear in an overview of national artistic practice and feature in a major exhibition within the Waikato Museum.

Among our national art community this Art Award, established by the Waikato Society of Arts in 2000, and sponsored by Trust Waikato, is regarded as one of New Zealand’s premiere contemporary art events. Prize $15,000. Each year, the Award also gives the opportunity to view New Zealand’s contemporary art scene through the eyes of a respected curator. Dr Leonhard Emmerling, St Paul Street Gallery, AUT, Auckland; is this year’s nationally and internationally acclaimed adjudicator of the Award.

Director Kate Vusoniwailala

Wallace Art Award

The Wallace Art Awards focus on contemporary New Zealand painting, sculpture, drawing and unique photography. These awards are now the longest surviving and richest annual art awards of their kind in Australasia, amounting to over $58,000. The Paramount winner is awarded a 6 month Residency in New York with the International Studio and Curatorial Program while the Development Award winner receives a residency at Vermont Studio Center. Many of the winners and finalists of the Awards are added to the Collection each year.

The Walters Prize

The Walters Prize is a biennial award for New Zealand artists who have made an outstanding contribution to the visual arts in the previous two years. Honouring the life and artistic legacy of Gordon Walters (1919 – 1995), the award was founded by the Auckland Art Gallery in 2002. The prize includes NZ$50,000 and an all expense paid trip to New York to exhibit at Saatchi & Saatchi’s world headquarters.

Past winners are Yvonne Todd (2002), Et Al (2004), Francis Upritchard (2006) and Dan Arps (2010).

Judges for the award have been Harald Szeemann (2002), Robert Storr (2004), Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev (2006) and Vicente Todoli (2010).