Dannevirke Art Society members are hard at work preparing for their 60th exhibition, which opens next week in the Home Industries Hall at the Dannevirke Showgrounds.
Billed as the society’s Diamond Exhibition, the opening on Friday, October 9, will be a celebration of the group’s formation 60 years ago and an evening of glitz and glamour.
Secretary Judy Giddens said those attending the opening are welcome to dress up for the occasion.
Entries for this year’s exhibition, which will run until Sunday, October 18, are moderate, possibly because there was earlier uncertainty as to whether the exhibition would go ahead because of Covid-19 lockdown.
The exhibition will feature a special display of work by its life members, many of whom are still active, and they will have the option of offering their work for sale.
The highly sought after Dannevirke Art Society Rosebowl will again be keenly contested.
Another category is for the Heather Foote Trophy for artists with fewer than four years’ experience.
There are also awards for best in show and people’s choice. Judge of the artwork this year is Waipukurau artist Susan Higginson.
Photography has been a part of the exhibition for the past two years. The work was judged for the first time last year and the winner was presented with a cup donated by Woodville’s Lindauer Studio. This cup will again be at stake.
Judging this year will be by professional photographer Bruce Hutton of Woodville.
Last year a children’s colouring competition was introduced and this will feature again.
There is plenty of opportunity for visitors to the exhibition to buy artwork.
The cash and carry section offers small paintings that can be taken away as soon as they are sold, whereas other work remains on show until the exhibition ends.
There is also a silent auction of previously shown works.
There is also a lucky ticket draw for a painting by Giddens, who has been an art society member for 50 years.
Art society president Joan Alding says the exhibition is generally well supported, often with a busload of art lovers arriving from Hawke’s Bay.
Invitations have been sent out to other art societies.
Dannevirke Woodturners will again be displaying and selling their work at the exhibition.
The exhibition officially opens on Friday October 9 at 5.30pm. There is a door charge of $5.
The exhibition will be open to the public each day from 10am until 4pm, with a late night on Wednesday until 7pm. It will close on Sunday October 18 at 3pm.