Awards salute O'Sullivan art

Whangarei artist Barbara O'Sullivan has won first place at the newly revived Northland Art Awards.

She was announced the overall winner for her painting titled Above and Below: Paparoa Range and Pike River, made from PVC on acrylic on canvas.

The awards were discontinued eight years ago when the Northland Society of Arts (NSA) lost sponsorship. However, after Reyburn House was restored the society decided the awards should be resurrected.

The society had been doing the awards for "humpteen years", said NSA secretary Elizabeth Fuge, and they were as well received this year as they had been in past years.

"It's been a huge success. There's a terrific variety of artwork and people are just excited to have the awards back on board," she said.

"Visitors from all around the country and overseas have been delighted to come and see."

Some 62 submissions were received from all over Northland and the winners will be exhibited alongside other works selected for their high standard until Thursday, February 28.

The mixed media award went to Alan Wilkinson-Mackie, while Waipu's Colin Unkovich collected the painting award with a work called Great Expectations, and Kathryn Millard, of Kaikohe, was highly commended for her work, Ocean Beach.

In the past, the event was held biennially, and Mrs Fuge is determined to see the awards continue.

"It will be held in 2015," she said. "It is an important event for the arts in our region."

She said visitors were bound to be impressed by what was on offer.

"They will see some fantastic artworks," she said.

Reyburn House Art Gallery is open Tuesday to Friday 10am-4pm, Saturday and Sunday 1pm-4pm.