Walters Prize

The Walters Prize is New Zealand's largest contemporary art prize.

Held biennially since 2002, the prize aims to 'make contemporary art a more widely recognised and debated feature of cultural life'. The prize is named in honour of New Zealand abstract painter Gordon Walters and the founding benefactors and principal donors are Erika and Robin Congreve and Dame Jenny Gibbs.[1] The prize is organised by and held at Auckland Art Gallery.

Four artists are nominated each year by a panel of four New Zealand-based jurors for a work or body of work exhibited in the previous two years. The four artists are invited to install the nominated works (or version of their nominated show) at the Auckland Art Gallery in a public exhibition. The prize is awarded by a visiting international judge.[2]

The winner receives $50,000.

Recipients and finalists

[edit]

2024

Judge: Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung[3]

Jurors: Robert Leonard, Tendai Mutambu, Melanie Oliver and Hanahiva Rose[4]

Winner: Ana Iti A resilient heart like the mānawa[3]

Finalists:

  • Juliet Carpenter EGOLANE[5]
  • Owen Connors your cart and plow over the bones of the dead [6] and Incubations[7]
  • Brett Graham Tai Moana Tai Tangata[8]
  • Ana Iti The woman whose back was a whetstone,[9] Roharoha and I must shroud myself in stinging nettle[10]

2021

Judge: Kate Fowle

Jurors: Allan Smith, Nathan Pohio, Melanie Oliver, Charlotte Huddleston.[11]

Finalists:

There was some controversy over conflict of interest with this iteration of the Walters Prize, as two of the selected works had been in exhibitions curated by jurors.[16]

2018

Judge: Adriano Pedrosa

Jurors: Stephen Cleland, Allan Smith, Lara Strongman, Megan Tamati-Quennell[17][18]

Finalists:

2016

Judge: Doryun Chong

Jurors: Emma Bugden, Peter Robinson, Lara Strongman, Nina Tonga

Finalists:

2014

Judge: Charles Esche

Jurors: Tina Barton, Anna-Marie White, Peter Robinson, Caterina Riva.

Finalists:

2012

Judge: Mami Kataoka

Jurors: David Cross, Aaron Kreisler, Kate Montgomery, Gwynneth Porter.

2010

Judge: Vicente Todolí

Jurors: Jon Bywater, Rhana Devenport, Leonhard Emmerling and Kate Montgomery.

German-based New Zealand artist Michael Stevenson was also nominated for his 2008 exhibition Persepolis 2530 shown in Bristol, but the Auckland Art Gallery stated that 'due to accommodation and budgetary constraints it was not possible to exhibit' the work and therefore while the nomination stood it was not eligible for judging.[31]

2008

Judge: Catherine David

Jurors: Jon Bywater, Elizabeth Caldwell, Andrew Clifford and Rhana Devenport[32]

2006

Judge: Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev

Jurors: Tina Barton, Andrew Clifford, Wystan Curnow and Heather Galbraith[34]

2004

Judge: Robert Storr

Jurors: Tina Barton, Dr Deidre Brown, Greg Burke and Justin Paton[36]

2002

Judge: Harald Szeemann

Jurors: Robert Leonard, Justin Paton, Anna Miles and William McAloon[39]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Herrick, Linda (3 October 2006). "Doom and gloom scoops $50,000 Walters Prize". NZ Herald. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Walters Prize 2014". Auckland Art Gallery. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  3. ^ a b "Ana Iti wins Walters Prize 2024". Auckland Art Gallery. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  4. ^ "Walters Prize: 2024 Shortlisted Artists". Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  5. ^ "Juliet Carpenter". Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  6. ^ "Owen Connors". Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  7. ^ "Incubations". Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  8. ^ "Brett Graham: Tai Moana Tai Tangata". Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  9. ^ "Swallowing Geography". Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  10. ^ "Ana Iti: I must Shroud Myself in a Stinging Nettle". Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  11. ^ "The Walters Prize 2020: Nominees announced for New Zealand's foremost contemporary art prize". Auckland Art Gallery. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  12. ^ "Atapō". Auckland Art Gallery. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  13. ^ "A Body That Lives". ST PAUL St Gallery. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  14. ^ "Leah Reynolds on Sriwhana Spong's Ida-Ida | Contemporary HUM". contemporary-hum. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  15. ^ "SOLO 2018". The Dowse Art Museum. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  16. ^ "Walters Art Prize judging above board, says gallery". RNZ. 17 April 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  17. ^ "The Walters Prize 2018: Nominees announced for New Zealand's foremost contemporary art prize". Auckland Art Gallery. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  18. ^ Amery, Mark (25 April 2020). "The conflict over conflict of interest: On the Walters Art Prize judging process". The Spinoff. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  19. ^ "Ruth Buchanan wins Walters Prize 2018". Auckland Art Gallery. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  20. ^ Christie, Dionne (1 October 2016). "Winning art praised for powerful elegance". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  21. ^ "Four artists announced for the Walters Prize 2016". Auckland Art Gallery. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  22. ^ "Walters Prize awarded to Luke Willis Thompson". Stuff.co.nz. 26 September 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  23. ^ Gifford, Adam (19 July 2014). "Walters Prize contenders: Living rough and a taxi to nowhere". NZ Herald. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  24. ^ Daly-Peoples, John (6 August 2014). "The Walters Prize: clever work if you can find it". National Business Review. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  25. ^ Gifford, Adam (13 October 2012). "Walters Prize: Lots of travel, lots of talking". NZ Herald. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  26. ^ Pryor, Nicole (21 October 2012). "Walters art prize goes to Newby". Auckland Now. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  27. ^ "Walters Prize 2012". Auckland Art Gallery. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  28. ^ Herrick, Linda (8 October 2010). "Auckland artist wins $50,000 Walters prize". NZ Herald. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  29. ^ "Dan Arps – Walters Prize 2010 awardee". Auckland Art Gallery Blog. 11 October 2010. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  30. ^ "Walters Prize 2010". Auckland Art Gallery. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  31. ^ Daly-Peoples, John (29 April 2010). "Emerging artists in line for Walters Prize". National Business Review. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  32. ^ "Walters Prize 2008". Auckland Art Gallery. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  33. ^ "Walters Prize 2008". Auckland Art Gallery. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  34. ^ "Walters Prize 2006". Auckland Art Gallery. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  35. ^ "Walters Prize 2006". Auckland Art Gallery. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  36. ^ "Walters Prize 2004". Auckland Art Gallery. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  37. ^ "Et al. NZ artists for Venice Biennale 2005 win prestigious NZ Award, The Walters Prize". e-flux. 25 November 2004. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  38. ^ "Walters Prize 2004". Auckland Art Gallery. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  39. ^ "Walters Prize 2002". Auckland Art Gallery. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  40. ^ Herrick, Linda (17 July 2002). "Yvonne Todd wins $50,000 Walters art prize". NZ Herald. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  41. ^ "Walters Prize 2002". Auckland Art Gallery. Retrieved 18 June 2019.