COCA Anthony Harper Contemporary Art Award 2010

Curator, writer and editor, Lara Strongman announced that Wellington photographer, Ann Shelton, is the winner of the 2010 COCA Anthony Harper Award for Contemporary Art and the prize of $10,000. Her work, ‘Wintering, after a van der Velden study, Otira Gorge,’ was selected by Strongman who commented that it was ‘a powerful, haunting image, whose economy of expression belies the conceptual richness of the work.’ Strongman also commended works by Robin Neate, ‘I think I’ll go down to the Pacific and from there I’ll improvise,’ and Chris Pole, ’The Age of Wires.’

This year the gallery received more than 350 entries from artists from throughout New Zealand, with 73 works selected for exhibition. There are no restrictions on the scale or media of works and finalists in 2010 included a miniature pony (Maverick) and handler, from Cat Auburn, (on display daily from 1-3pm), currently the recipient of the Olivia Spencer-Bower Award. The exhibition runs until 3 July. Established in 2004, past recipients of the Award include Zina Swanson, Roger Boyce and Lorraine Rastorfer.