Exhibitor Micro Grant Award 2024

The 8th annual Exhibitor Artist Award took place again in June 2024 boasting a NZ$5000 grant pool of awards for the participating artists, groups, club in the 2024 Festival who were eligible to apply.

Assessment was completed by the Festival team, whom were impressed by the Festival exhibitions and artist's shortlisted, which were of a high standard and had a good range of presentation and practice and, the Festival Trust spokesperson said "it was a tough decision as all of them had merit". We are pleased to announce the 8th Exhibition Award grants went to:

1) Rukus Photo Group and friends, 2) Tony Reddrop, 3) Kate Rampling, 4) ImageN8, 5) Abhi Chinniah, 6) Judy Stokes, 7) Joingxin Peng and 8) Beatrice Carlson

To date over NZ$19,250 in Award money has been made to support NZ photography through this Artist/Exhibitor award since 2017.

Thanks to:

CC logo - Auckland Council


Call for applications 2024 - Exhibitor Micro Grant Award

Once again the Festival Trust was able to refresh and provide a new direction for the annual Artist Exhibitor Award, after 7 years of good support for the participating artists each year, we are pleased to share this awesome news.

Auckland Festival of Photography is NZ's premium international photographic festival, providing a diverse and inclusive platform, for the exchange of ideas, artistic expression, and engagement with photography and visual culture.

Participating artists, groups, club in the 2024 Festival were invited to apply. (Not a public call for applications)

Process:

1) Applications are open: 30 May to 12 June 2024. Written and completed forms will be assessed by the Festival team and Trust.

2) Successful applicants will be notified by 15th June.

3) Payments will be made by end June, each grant must be paid in full e.g. either lump sum or part of (on meeting all the requested payment information, NZ bank accounts only please).

4) 5 Micro Grants of $1000 (or part of) each are available, and we hope to support a diverse range of exhibitors, emerging, established and groups. Curators and galleries representatives are not eligible to apply.

5) Auckland Festival of Photography Trust decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into, and we thank everyone for their support of the 2024 Festival.

Thanks to:

 

CC logo - Auckland Council

To date over NZ$14,250 in Award money has been made to support NZ photography through this Artist/Exhibitor award since 2017.


 

Late Harvest Award - 2023

The 7th annual Artist Award - Late Harvest took place again in 2023 boasting a NZ$1500 cash award for the winner and a runner-up prize of NZ$750.

Judging was completed by the sponsor, whom was impressed by the Festival exhibitions and artist's shortlisted, which were of a high standard and had a good range of presentation and practice and, Roger Brown, winesearcher.com, said "it was a tough decision as all of them had merit". We are pleased to announce 7th Exhibition Award - Late Harvest winners: 

Late Harvest Established Exhibitor Award 2023: Jenny Tomlin - Growing Light at Skar image Lab. Jenny's been a pinhole photographer sharing her knowledge and artworks around the country for many years, and shown a dedication to the artform she has mastered. The show this year for the Festival was a culmination of exposures, developing techniques and print presentation that we loved. Jenny wins $1500 cash as the prize.

Jenny Tomlin; Kokekohe lumen
Jenny Tomlin, Kohekohe lumen
 
Late Harvest Emerging Exhibitor Award 2023: Laird McKechnie - Unseen at SpeedySigns - Pop Up spaceLaird's been an abstract photographer creating artworks in camera, without any post production, and shown a skill and technical appreciation of photography in this year's Festival exhibition. The show this year was a culmination of artistic exposures, techniques and print presentation on aluminium that is very unique. Laird wins $750 cash as the prize. 

Laird Mckechnie; Pollock
Laird Mckechnie, Pollock
To date over NZ$14,250 in prize money has been Awarded to support NZ photography through this Artist/Exhibitor award since 2017.

Artist Award 2022 - Late Harvest

The 6th annual Artist Award - Late Harvest took place again in 2022 boasting a NZ$1500 cash award for the winner and a runner-up prize of NZ$750. In 2022 The Festival Trust gifted a native tree for each entrant in the 2022 Late Harvest - Artist Award - Trees that Count

Judging was completed by the sponsor, whom was impressed that the entries were of a high standard and had a good interpretation of the Late Harvest theme. Read more about the sponsor below. 

We're delighted to announce the winner is Judy Stokes with her work Creative Fusion, her work is on show in Natural Collaboration until 18 June.  

"This image came from a personal challenge to work out In Camera Multiple Exposures. I know I always learn best by teaching myself and I know I always react well to a challenge.  The challenge ended up with a body of work and a confidence to handle my camera and produce multiple exposures. The body of work " My Shadow and I " -  all self portraits – were centred around my creative muse. This image “ Creative Fusion” is one of my favourites of the series and for me is closely related to how I feel when the creative magic starts to kick in."

Judy Stokes

Runner-up awarded to: Hayley Theyers for her work Pray tell, what manner of monkey business is this? stop by Wrung and Misshapen until 29 June. 

"When I originally made the series this image is taken from, it illustrated the overthrow of animism and the natural world by the advent of religion. I revisited this work in light of the monkeypox outbreak; my monkey had always seemed a bit of a gay disco monkey, suggesting a modern reading, a late harvest of meaning. The monkeypox outbreak brought out some of the latent homophobia in society and reminded me of the stigma suffered by gay men in the AIDS years; my monkey is still being condemned, while the heterosexual couple in the background are saved by Jesus."

Hayley Theyers

To date over NZ$12,000 in prize money has been Awarded to support NZ photography through this award.


Artist Award 2021 - Late Harvest

Jiongxin Peng won the 2021 Auckland Festival of Photography Late Harvest Award for the image Hope of Field.

Peng won a $1500 cash award and certificate, which was presented on Wed 2 June. Peng was exhibiting in the Festival’s 2021 Satellite programme at Te Manawa.

Judge and artist Linda Tyler stated “the high viewpoint and dramatic diagonal where the figure is walking activates this composition. While the vibrant red colour of the crop which fills the field is arresting, the crispness of the focus keeps attention playing over the contrast of textures. Autumn sunshine provides bright highlights of interest.”

 Jiongxin Peng, Hope of Field

The Runner-up $750 prize was awarded to Anibal Galindo for the work Timber Logs “adventurously using digital post-production to combine colour and monochrome images, this is an emphatic depiction of harvesting as the end-point of a plantation forest cycle. The haul of tree trunks is squarely positioned facing the viewer, bathed in sunlight, and casting a dark shadow on the ground. There is an element of mystery to the scene: why are some of these Pinus radiata logs marked with blue dots, and why has the trailer been left behind?”

Anibal Galindo, Timber Logs

Artist Award 2020 - Late Harvest

The festival is pleased to announce Maryanne Bilham is the winner of the 2020 Auckland Festival of Photography Late Harvest Award for the image Autumnal Rays.

Maryanne Bilham; Autumnal Rays

She won $1500 cash award and certificate which was presented on Sunday 7 June. Maryanne exhibited in the Festival YouTube programme 'Postcards from New Zealand'.

Judge Roger Brown from winesearcher.com praised the evocative, late autumn tone and colouring of the image and how it fitted into the ‘late harvest’ theme. “The figure walking along the track, perhaps walking home from the fields [and] the low level of the sun and the flowered grasses just added more. Congratulations!"

Judge Judith Crispin, artist. praised the high standard of entries, saying it was very difficult to select a shortlist. “I was very excited to see work that celebrated the natural world so wholeheartedly."

Artist Award 2019 - Beauty by Subtraction

The festival is pleased to announce Jiongxin Peng was last year's winner of the 2019 Auckland Festival of Photography Beauty by Subtraction - Artist Award for the image Between Heaven and Earth.
 Jiongxin Peng; Between Heaven & Earth

This was the third year the artist Award has been presented and coincided with the launch of the 2019 Auckland Festival of Photography.

Entry to the Beauty by Subtraction Award was open to any New Zealand photographer exhibiting in this year’s festival and the winner won a $2000 cash prize and award certificate.

Sally Brownbill (Australia), director The Brownbill Effect judged the Beauty by Subtraction Award said -
"It was a huge honour to be invited to judge this years 2019 Auckland Festival of Photography award, “Beauty by Subtraction”.

I was thrilled to see the diversity in the images that had been entered into this year’s award.  Each photographer was able to interpret the brief in a personal way, which is very refreshing, given our exposure these days to imagery and ideas.

The winning image however stood out as a shining light, not only for its strength of composition and technical prowess, but also for its interpretation of the brief. It was powerful and majestic at the same time. The concept of the arrow and the road also drew me in, with driving in mind, and felt that this was the perfect, well executed piece of work to win this award."

Artist Jiongxin Peng is showcasing his work, as part of the Satellite programme.

Artist Award 2018 - Chasing Shadows

Anil Dumasia won the 2018 Auckland Festival of Photography award, ‘Chasing Shadows’ – for his image, 'Ghostly Light Shadows'.

This was the second year the artist award had been presented with the launch of the 2018 Auckland Festival of Photography. Entry to Chasing Shadows was open to any New Zealand photographer exhibiting in the festival and the winner won a $2000 cash prize and certificate.

Judges for Chasing Shadows were Moshe Rosenvzveig [Head On Photo Awards, Australia and AFP Trust judge] and Glenn Harris, General Marketing Manager of Mazda.

Anil Dumasia; Chasing Shadows winner

“We came to a unanimous decision that this was an image that showed creative use of light, landscape and presented a ghostly sense of shadows” the judges said.

“The number of amazing images impressed the judges."

Julia Durkin, AFP’s Public Participation Director congratulated all those who took part in the Chasing Shadows award. “Each year AFP strives to build access to the festival by New Zealand based photographers. Competitions such as Chasing Shadows Award and Nikon Auckland Photo Day are an important part of this. AFP 2018 also gives audiences free access to leading international practitioners in photography and dozens of exhibitions throughout the Auckland region. We congratulate all those involved in this Award - not least Anil Dumasia - for being part of AFP 2018. We invite you to join us at this year’s festival.”

Artist Award 2017 - The Spirit of Motion

Diane Costello won this new AFP award, ‘The Spirit of Motion’ – for her image, Momentum.

The award was open for entry by any New Zealand photographer exhibiting in the 2017 festival, which ran 1-24 June at various venues across Auckland.

The winning image was praised for its motion and an “exultation of spirit” by judges Phil Edmondes-Rowe, Auckland Festival of Photography Trust and Terrianne Brown, Customer Experience Manager of Mazda.

Dianne Costello; Momentum

Dianne Costello - Momentum - Winner 'The Spirit of Motion' Award 2017

“We chose this image because it has motion and that joie de vivre - a cheerful enjoyment of life. The woman is wearing her nice dress and high heels, yet her spirit and joy of life meant she couldn't resist chasing the pigeons.  While many of the other competition images had motion, few showed that joy of life,” the judges said.

“The number of amazing images impressed the judges. But we immediately smiled when we saw this picture. The subject’s vivaciousness was infectious - and that's what made the image the winner."

Dianne won a $2000 cash prize and a certificate. Thanks to everyone who took part.

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