The NZ Art Guild held the first annual NZAG Art Awards at the Bruce Mason Centre in February 2008. This was open to all NZ Artists and designed to encourage artists to think outside the box and extend their creativity. Every artwork had to incorporate each of the following themes into it,
Cool Blue
Equality
Stamp
Circular
Interpretation and application of these terms/words was up to the individual artist and only limited by their imagination.
"Winning the inaugural New Zealand Art Guild's Art Awards has definitely lifted my career as an artist to the next level. Not only do I feel more confident about my work, but the prize money has allowed me to complete more paintings that have subsequently sold and won other prizes. The year's membership of the NZ Art Guild that came with the prize has opened up new and exciting opportunities, as well as much-needed contact with, and much-appreciated support and encouragement from, many fellow artists throughout New Zealand."
Elspeth Alix Batt
