39 years on, the Waitākere Arts Awards showed off the best of The West again
Hosted by Waitākere Arts, the awards and exhibition have grown into one of the premier arts events in The West. The idea behind it is simple and has not changed much over the years: give local artists a proper place to show their work, put it in front of the community, and let the rest take care of itself.
Entries came in from across the region, from artists who are just starting out alongside those who have been at it for decades. Painters, makers and creatives of all kinds in the one space, and a genuine sense of how much creative talent is tucked away in the suburbs of The West.
The youth entries have become a real drawcard. Ahead of the exhibition, Sue Butler, President of Waitākere Arts, said they have consistently been a highlight.
“We are very proud of the Youth entries received over the years which have been outstanding. We encourage everyone in West Auckland to visit the Exhibition and be inspired by our young artistic talent.”
Our sponsorship helped keep the awards running and keep them accessible, so artists had somewhere to enter their work and the community had somewhere to go and see it. We were not the ones making the art or hanging the show. That was down to Waitākere Arts and the volunteers, judges and artists who put their time and their work into it every year.
For a community-owned business like ours, backing something like this makes sense. Every dollar of surplus we generate goes back into The West, and a strong community needs more than just services and facilities. It needs places where people can create, gather and celebrate what the locals are capable of. As our CEO Allan Pollard puts it, “The Trusts is proud to support events that showcase the incredible creativity within our community. The Waitākere Arts Awards have become a much-loved tradition that celebrates artistic excellence while bringing people together through the arts.”
Thirty-nine years is a long run for any community event. Here’s to the fortieth.
Learn more about Waitākere Arts at waitakerearts.com or follow them on Facebook.
If you or your organisation could use support from The Trusts, find out how to apply at thetrusts.co.nz/our-funds.
