Sculptors and painters are being invited to create a work for the Project Twin Streams Art Awards, part of the annual Waitakere Trust Art Awards held in West Auckland.

The nine-year stream bank restoration project aims to restore and replant 56kms of Waitakere stream banks using a sustainable development approach.

The art works will be judged on the quality of work and how well the themes of the project have been researched, interpreted and communicated through the work.Sculptors and painters are being invited to create a work for the Project Twin Streams Art Awards, part of the annual Waitakere Trust Art Awards held in West Auckland.

The nine-year stream bank restoration project aims to restore and replant 56kms of Waitakere stream banks using a sustainable development approach.

The art works will be judged on the quality of work and how well the themes of the project have been researched, interpreted and communicated through the work.The project is delivered under a unique council/community partnership approach where local residents and groups, work with the local co-coordinators to get residents involved in restoring their local stream.

Creative engagement has always been a key strategy for raising awareness around the causes of, and solutions to stream pollution and has been used as a very successful tool for engaging with the community.

For this year's Waitakere Trust Art Awards, Project Twin Streams has sponsored a category, with seven prizes totaling $3200, for both sculpture and painting.

Mandy Patmore, Project Twin Streams Art Coordinator sees the awards as a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness about the Project within the art community. "Not only will people be viewing works inspired by Project Twin Streams, artists will be researching the aims and themes of the project as starting points for their works".

Mandy suggests artists should use the questions What have we done? What are we doing? Whose streams are these? as the starting point for their research and works.

Megan Carter from the Waitakere Central Community Arts Council believes the Project Twin Stream Awards will give artists good food for thought, "The Waitakere Trust Art Awards are open to artists nationwide with an ensuing broad range of subjects and interpretations. The Project Twin Streams category gives artists a very focused opportunity to both explore and celebrate their personal response to the environment, and raise awareness about environmental projects."

Selected works will be shown in an exhibition, which will run from 1 - 10 October at the Unitec Waitakere Campus, Ratanui St, Henderson.

Registrations close on 12 September. Art works must be received on September 27 between 9am - 12.30pm.

The awards are coordinated by Waitakere Central Community Arts Council, with funding from Waitakere Trust. Waitakere City Council receives funding from the Auckland Regional Council to undertake Project Twin Streams.

For more information about Project Twin Streams and to download an entry form please visit www.projecttwinstreams.org.nz.

Project Twin Streams

05/09/08