Now in its eighth year, the Zonta Ashburton Female Art Awards have celebrated the creativity and talent of emerging and mid-career female artists from Waitaha Canterbury. At the recent awards ceremony, the Ashburton Art Gallery and Museum Director Shirin Khosraviani highlighted the record-breaking participation in the Young Generation category and announced an important rebranding of the event to Zonta Ashburton Women’s Art Awards (ZAWAA) in 2025, reflecting a commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Empowering Female Artists
This year’s competition saw 35 finalists selected from 60 entries for the Premier Award, with an additional 26 young artists competing in the Young Generation Award category. The Premier Award was clinched by Marie Porter for her interactive piece The Rocks, blending natural and handcrafted elements to explore themes of community and resilience. Porter’s work, which invites audience interaction with both the physical art and accompanying poetic notebook, was praised for its material experimentation and conceptual depth.
Innovative Approaches and Future Plans
Judge Ruth Watson, representing the judging panel, lauded the overall excellence and innovative spirit of the finalists. The awards ceremony not only honored the winners but also set the stage for future exhibitions, including Marie Porter’s solo exhibition scheduled for 2025. The Young Generation Award was awarded to Jenny Wang for her sculpture Flicker, an ambitious piece reflecting on physical and cultural heritage.
Engaging the Community
The ZAFAA awards exhibition, open until 14 April 2024, offers visitors the opportunity to engage directly with the art, including voting for the People’s Choice award. Concurrently, Jo Burzynska’s exhibition Scents Take up the Ringing, winner of the previous year’s Premier Award, provides an immersive sensory experience combining scent, sound, and visual elements. This exhibition, along with the broader awards event, is supported by local organizations and highlights the Ashburton Art Gallery and Museum’s role in fostering artistic expression and community involvement.
The renaming of the awards to ZAWAA signifies a pivotal moment in the event’s history, embracing a broader and more inclusive vision for supporting women’s artistic achievements. As the Zonta Ashburton Female Art Awards evolve, they continue to celebrate the power of art to unite, inspire, and reflect the diverse experiences of women from all walks of life.
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