19th Annual Estuary Art and Ecology Awards
The only contemporary art award in Aotearoa New Zealand with ecology at its core.
The Estuary Art and Ecology Awards are Aotearoa’s only annual contemporary art awards with ecology at the core. Artists are invited to research and respond to the Tāmaki Estuary, explore the ecological value of this vital waterway, and encourage action against its pollution. Finalists will be exhibited in the Malcolm Smith Gallery at UXBRIDGE Arts and Culture and winning artworks will be intelligent and innovative responses to ecology in the field of contemporary art.
KEY DATES
Entries open 4 April 2025
Entries close 23 May 2025 – deadline extended to midnight, 25 May 2025
Finalists Announced 13 June 2025
Exhibition of Finalists 5 July – 30 August 2025
Opening function and awards ceremony Saturday 5 July 2025, 4:30PM
AWARDS
First Place: $5,000
Second Place: $2,000
Third Place: $1000
Merit Awards (2): $250 + $150 Gordon Harris Art Supplies Voucher
People’s Choice Award: $1,000
FINALISTS
Lucy Boermans, Tony Clarke, Charli de Koning, Inga Fillary, GENIUS: Geena & Nikki Simpkin-Hill, Helen Harvey, Kristin Hatland, Rose Lee, Misty Lynn, Kelly Rowe, Madi Sexton, Anna Tang, Grace Thresher, Saskia Eliane Van Dijk, Maraky Vowells, Rīhari Warnock and Roger Wyllie.
EVENTS
Video & story courtesy of Leach Breach, AUT Journalism student.
Part One Saturday 23 August, 10am
In Conversation with Estuary Artists: Lucy Boermans, Rose Lee & Saskia Eliane Van Dijk
Part Two Saturday 30 August, 11am
In Conversation with Estuary Artists: Grace Thresher, Charli de Koning
This two part artist talk series takes place over two consecutive Saturdays, each featuring a selection of the Estuary prize recipients. Joining Curator Zoë May will be a selection of the prize winning artists. Each artist will share insights into their work and practice, diving deeper into their relationship with the Estuary and the themes their works aim to address.
JUDGE – Shannon Novak
Unfortunately, our judge Hannah Buckley PhD. has had to withdraw from judging this years’ Estuary Art and Ecology Awards. Though this is disappointing news, we are grateful to have Safe Space Alliance founder, artist and curator 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗻 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗮𝗸 agree to judge in her stead.
Image courtesy of Shannon Novak.
While Novak is not an “eco-artist” in the traditional sense of working with land, natural materials, or explicit environmental activism, a significant ecological link exists in his work through a focus on social and psychological ecologies. His practice is deeply concerned with the health and sustainability of human systems, specifically the environments that impact the well-being of LGBTQI+ communities. This is best understood as the study of the interrelationships between individuals and their social environments. He investigates how these “ecosystems” can be nurtured to become safe, supportive, and life-sustaining. This manifests as socially engaged and collaborative painting, photography, installation, sculpture, and curatorial practice that often extends beyond traditional exhibition spaces. The work explores light and dark in the past, present, and future, but ultimately seeks to grow hope for a better world where queer communities can live without fear. For example, “Biological Exuberance” at Queensland Museum, 2021, celebrates the diversity of sexual orientation and gender identity, framing it as a natural and essential part of human biodiversity.
Novak founded the Safe Space Alliance, a global LGBTQI+ led nonprofit organisation that aims to help people identify, navigate, and create safe spaces for LGBTQI+ communities. Museums and galleries have joined from around the world including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York City, New York, US), MCA Denver (Denver, Colorado, US), Institute of Contemporary Art (Boston, Massachusetts, US), Remai Modern (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada), and Museum of London (London, UK). Novak also founded Velebit, a project that aims to grow safety in relationships between queer communities and emerging technologies.
Novak has developed work for national and international institutions, festivals, and public spaces, including the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki (Auckland, New Zealand), Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia), Ningbo Museum of Art (Ningbo, China), Stanford University (Stanford, California, US), Institute of Contemporary Art San José (San José, California, US), The McKinney Avenue Contemporary (Dallas, Texas, US), St. Lawrence University (Canton, New York, US), and Georgia Museum of Art (Athens, Georgia, US).
SPONSORS
The 19th Estuary Art and Ecology Awards are generously funded by Auckland Council’s Howick Local Board, Tāmaki Estuary Environmental Forum (TEEF), the Rice Family Partnership, and Gordon Harris Art Supplies.
