2021 Emerging Artist Award - Reimagining Nature

YOU STILL HAVE TIME! DATES POSTPONED TO NOVEMBER!

We are all aware of the positive effects being in nature can have on our physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental wellbeing. Since the end of lockdown, a lot of New Zealanders have rediscovered nature’s power to remove stress, anxiety and restore our more positive emotions.

When it comes to mental health benefits, nature has a very wide definition. It can mean green spaces such as parks, woodland, or forests as well as blue spaces like rivers, wetlands, beaches, or mountain peaks. It also includes trees on an urban street, private gardens and even indoor plants or window boxes.

For this year’s Emerging Artists Award our theme is REIMAGINING NATURE.

We are asking artists to consider nature’s unique ability to not only bring consolation in times of stress, but also how it can increase our empathy, connection, and sense of wonder.

As emerging artists, we invite you to choose any medium (painting, sculpture, photography, jewellery, poetry etc.) to reimagine our relationship with nature and develop a new connection with the natural world that benefits ourselves and others.

For the 2021 Emerging Artists Awards, we want to see your art and hear your stories about how the natural world can positively influence mental wellbeing.

Your submission should include

• A photographic submission of your art piece (finalists will be notified by email to bring in the original artwork)
• An artist's statement detailing how your work embodies the theme of REIMAGINING NATURE
• A completed entry form - pick on up in the gallery or online www.upstairs.org.nz