Strong Voices

In the latest innovation for the IHC Art Awards, a new award has been launched for studios that support artists with intellectual disabilities.

The Holdsworth Trust Scholarship Award offers $5000 to the winning art base or studio for materials, equipment or towards tutor salaries.

Merrill Holdsworth, of the Holdsworth family, says the Art Awards could not happen without the support of art bases and studios.

“Almost all entries are from artists working in either a school or an art base. We rely on these art bases to nurture the artists and their works, then select, package and send entries for judging and exhibiting.

“The new award will enable the Holdsworth Charitable Trust to give recognition and a financial contribution to one participating art base each year.”

Studios can submit up to three artworks by different artists for The Holdsworth Charitable Trust Award. Any one of the three artworks submitted will also be eligible for first, second or third place or the L’affare People’s Choice Award or Youth Award.

The Holdsworth Charitable Trust has sponsored the IHC Art Awards since 2014.

Mark Hutchins-Pond, Elizabeth Caldwell and Tim Walker will return to judge the individual entries in the 2024 IHC Art Awards, the annual showcase for New Zealand artists with intellectual disabilities.

Mark Hutchins-Pond has extensive art sector expertise acquired over three decades of studying, writing, presenting, critiquing and championing the best contemporary fine art in the country. He is currently an art specialist at Webb’s after a decade as the contemporary art lead curator at P?taka Art+Museum in Porirua.

Elizabeth Caldwell has been working in the culture sector in Aotearoa for more than 30 years and received a New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to the arts in the 2022 King’s New Year Honours. She is currently heading up a new division of Napier City Council as Manager Arts, Culture and Heritage.

Fifth-time Art Awards judge Tim Walker is an Auckland-based arts and culture consultant with more than three decades’ experience in the art gallery sector.

Artist Michel Tuffery will join the judging panel this year to judge the new Holdsworth Trust Scholarship Award for art studios.

Michel is a New Zealand-born artist of Samoan, Rarotongan and Tahitian Ma‘ohi heritage.

Renowned as a painter and printmaker and for his architectural media artworks, Michel is a keen historian and active participant in contemporary culture. His art is displayed in major international exhibitions and programmes, as well as public and private collections.

The Art Awards exhibition will be held at the Webb’s auction house in Wellington from Friday 12 July, until Saturday 10 August.. All entries will be exhibited and available for purchase, with artists receiving 100 percent of the sale proceeds. All unsold artworks will be returned to the artist or studio at the end of the exhibition. We will not be selling them on Trade Me this year.

Above: Manaia Matakatea (right), winner of the L’affare People’s Choice Award in the 2023 IHC Art Awards, is celebrated at Caffe L’affare in Wellington. He is pictured with his uncle Karl Matakatea, who purchased the artwork. Manaia’s entry, Grocery List, was completed at the Shed Project creative space in Paraparaumu.