Bay Art Exhibition 2025

This year's Bay Art and Young@Art exhibitions were held at Te Waka Kura O Mohua Auditorium from Saturday 25th October to Sunday 2nd November with the exhibitions opening night held on Friday 24th October 2025. With a record number of entries in both exhibitions, incredible support from both funders and local businesses and a high number of visitor over the 10 days, the exhibition was a resounding success. Again, our creative community provided a diverse and engaging range of artworks and the core crew and volunteers did an amazing job curating the exhibition in a way that it both honoured the work and facilitated meaningful engagement.

This years special exhibition featured Jock Harrison a long standing participant of Bay Art and well renowned photographer. "Entry day was fabulous - we loved seeing  the range of art - there was such a great feel," says Arts Council chairperson Marg Braggins. Again, the organisers were focused on both modernising and uplifting the professionalism of the exhibition - to this end the GBCAC invested in a label maker that allows us to standardise labeling throughout the exhibition while also providing a facility for artists to include an artists statement with their work. Like all new systems this needs refining, however the overall feedback has been that the artist statements added value to the exhibition experience. Online registrations were well supported (making intake day easeful for the majority of artists and the volunteers) and the move to solely digital voting for the People's Choice award went well. Bay Art had a total of 135 entries consisting of the following entry levels: General 92, Professional 26 and Youth 17, with 38 artists offering to volunteer their time to support the exhibition. Young@Art had a total of 129 entries consisting of 39 entries from the wider community, 3 family entries (where THREE or more artworks were submitted), 70 entries from Te Waka Kura O Mohua (GBHS) and 17 entries from Collingwood Area School. A huge thank you all parents and both Anna Hislop and Elda Heywood for supporting their children and students (respectively) to be a part of the exhibition. This years judges were:

Sarah Douglas: Having lived and worked as an artist since she was 30, Sarah began to weave learning from prominent Nelson weaver Judith Addison. For the first few years she followed the rules as she was completely terrified to move out on my own but as time went on developed her own style - what she calls freestyle weaving that aligns with the Saori weaving movement, originating in Japan. Sarah joined the Potters Patch co-operative and has exhibited around New Zealand.

A member of the Motueka Arts Council for 10 years she has organised the Winter Workshop Series for 3 years and held the position of secretary.

Website: https://woolhandweavingnz.weebly.com/

Ian Bowell: Ian studied visual art and education at Avery Hill College and Goldsmiths College in London. He has been a practicing artist and art educator for over 30 years having worked in the UK, West Indies and New Zealand. For the last 20 years he worked in teacher education at Victoria University Wellington and the University of Canterbury New Zealand. He now works full time as an artist in Nelson.

He works in 2 and 3 dimensions using a wide range of media and materials. Often using a figurative motif to explore how people respond physically and emotionally to their environment. Ian is currently in the role of chairperson for the Nelson Suter Art Society. Website: https://www.ianbowellartist.com/gallery

Tom Brooker: Tom is a British artist who obtained a Bachelor's degree in Fine Art from Essex University in 2007. He had the privilege of working as an assistant to renowned artist Damien Hirst in London for 12 years. In 2022, he made the decision to move to New Zealand.

His artistic practice primarily revolves around oil paintings, although he also enjoys incorporating elements of drawing and collage into his works. Inspired by both natural landscapes and man-made architectural structures, Tom explores the diverse qualities of paint itself through various mark-making techniques. Website: https://www.tombrookerart.com/

A huge thank you to Sarah, Ian and Tom for making the journey over the hill and taking on the mammoth task of Judging this year's exhibition. The judges were overwhelmingly impressed with the artwork, quality of the exhibition as a whole and support for the arts they felt during opening night.

This years winners are:

• 2D Professional – Judith Ritchie | Migration

• 3D Professional – Dy Trying | Trafficing

• 3D Miniature Professional – Pam Nelson | Ancient Ammonite
  

• 2D General – Mark James | Coda

• 3D General – Ange Nicholson | The Last Nectar

• 3D Miniature General – Rory Hayes | Te Kōkōuri O Mokomoko (the gentle breeze of the mokomoko)
  

• 2D Youth – Elvy Cottle | E rere ana ngā kea

• 3D Youth – Forest Alker | Unfinished Springphony

• 3D Miniature Youth – Ari Bodley | Bronze Man
  

• Highly Commended:

  • Rita Virtama | Beyond

  • Hesta McReady | Fairy Prion

  • Rob Dawson | Solar Fern

  • Aralyn Doiron | Grace on the Wind

  • Melanie Walker | Tui Rising

  • Nikki Winter | Compass of Wings

  • Lisa Stachan | Literature of Life

  • Austin Cash Coom | Beaka Boo

  • Maia Kraal | The Dancer

  • Pauline Watts | Autumn Dunedin Botanical Gardens

  • Cait Tomlinson | Fairy House
    

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

• Supreme Award – Sarah Thomas | Kua nui rawa tēnei (This is too much)

• People's Choice Award Notable Recognition:

  • Cait Tomlinson | Fairy House

  • Nikki Winter | Compass of Wings

  • Olivia Thomas | Living History

  • Paul Lumsden | Making Memories

  • Sarah Thomas | Kua nui rawa tēnei (This is too much)

    
    

• People's Choice Award – Aralyn Doiron | Grace on the Wind

Golden Bay Community Arts Council would like to acknowledge the following local businesses, organisations and funders for their support.

Without their support the exhibition would not be possible!

Funding agencies:

TDC Creative Communities Scheme | TDC Golden Bay Community Board Discretionary Fund | Rural Service Centre | Pub Charity | Nelson Banking Society

Trash Palace

Significant Sponsors:

ITM Takaka | Mussel Inn | Health Post | Matuku Funerals | Solly's Transport

Major Sponsors:

Farewell Spit Eco Tours | Dangerous Kitchen | Pohutukawa Gallery | MONZA Gallery Zentec | Golden Bay Air | Unlimited Copies Takaka | Wholemeal Cafe | DeLish Dangerous Kitchen | Paper, Scissors, Rock

Supporters:

Bacca Bakery | Mohua Uenuku Surveying | Bay Takeaway | Tui Balms | Ellis Creek Farm | Living Light Candles | Hammer Hardware | Golden Bay WorkCentre Trust Youth Habitat | Molly B's | Gloss Hair Studio | Nikau Bar and Cafe | Ratanui Lodge Earth Gems Flower and Gardens

THE GBCAC would also like to acknowledge the support of the staff at Te Waka Kura O Mohua (Golden Bay High School). Thank you for being so accommodating and generous with resources and energy. As always, we felt most welcome!

Finally, the last words need to be for our community's creatives and those who nurture the development of creativity, young or old, experienced or just stepping into the public arena. We honour and celebrate your bravery, talent and passion!