Contemporary Fibre Art Awards 2019, presented by Arts Council Nelson
From Top Left to right:
- The award sponsored by Bernina NZ for a work of the mist creative use of a sewing machine goes to Rosie White (Wellington) with 'Structures 1, 2 and 3' (image Structure 1). 
- The award sponsored by Nelson City Council for the most creative entry with a twist on a traditional technique goes to Sarah Pumphrey (Tasman) 'Three Hundred and Sixty Three' (image, detail)
- The award sponsored by Debbie Copper Real Estate for a work of creative excellence goes to Clare Plug (Napier) with 'Arctic Series: Retreated'
Bottom row, left to right:
- The award sponsored by Dame Suzie Moncrieff and Creative Journeys Workshop for a work that captures the spirit of the show goes to Chloe Rose Taylor (Wellington) for 'Deep Fried' (image, detail). 
and 
- Nelson Regional Award, sponsored by Broomfields & Co and NZ Textile Experiences - for the most creative entry by a Nelson/Tasman artist goes to Sarah Arnold and Catharine Salmon for their work that seeks to articulate the sorrow of Mothers, Sisters and Wives of 16 young soldiers from the Motupiko Valley who died in WW 1. (Image, detail of their installation) 
Further thanks to Ronnie Martin [Creative Director, selector, judge], Jo Kinross [selector], Lloyd Harwood [admin, selector, judge], Heidi Lucas [admin] and the guest judge Sarah McClintock. And everyone who helped on the set up day and offered their help for the award/opening night. The showcase of finalists and award recipients is on until 24 April [closed Easter weekend]. Monday to Friday 10am - 5pm, Saturday 11am - 2pm.

Gala Preview and Award presentation tonight, 5:30pm. Show of Award Winners and Finalists runs until 24 April. Notewe are closed over Easter 19 - 22 April.
image credit: work on invite by Maggy Johnston 'The Way We Were'. More details on Winner soon on www.acn.org.nz/changing-threads-2019.html

Delighted! Thanks to local and Auckland supporters of our space - and artnews NZ, we are introduced in the Autumn Issue 2019 - in their Sketches section. Writing by ACN executive Annie Pokel. www.artnews.co.nz/

Wondering where our 'Refinery ArtSpace' sign is? We are currently working, thanks to Lee Woodman, on the resource consent application for our new signage. Crossed fingers and hopefully soon with a full new front face to shine :-). 

Reminder - our Call for Proposals closes 30.03.2019!
All details here:
http://www.acn.org.nz/the-refinery-artspace.html
Remember to check our blog entries here - or our instagram
https://www.instagram.com/the_refineryartspace/

 with an image that Until 16 March, 2pm.
Top row, left to right:
Clayton Morgan with an image from his series of the interior spaces of the Physics and Astronomy Department at the University of Canterbury’s Mount John observatory'
Harry Culy with an image from his ongoing body of work I am exploring a geographical area of the Hawkes Bay to investigate wider conversations around notions of place, belonging and displacement.  
Sam Curtis with an image from his series 'Dents' which looks at various human marks made on the New Zealand landscape. These marks can be grand or small, but often are subtle enough to fade into our background noise.
Bottom row, left to right: 
Tash Hopkins with an image from her series called 'The Western Springs Project', which is a study of the representation of youth. She looks beyond the generalised images of teenagers often seen in mainstream media and instead portrays them as individuals showing depth, complexity and vulnerability. 
Thomas Slade with an image that allows insights in his current project which uses a simpler conceptual framework and focuses on the visual connection to locations. It might be a building, an empty mall, or an isolated object, attempting to portray these in a subtle manner. 
Tom Hoyle with an image here, that allows us to view his aim to seek out the largely unseen activities of human industry and intend to project a wealth of detail for the eye to linger over. These photographs are captured with the long and carefully-composed exposures that have defined large format photography throughout its long history. 

As rightfully capture by James Gilbert (photographer, Photospace, Wellington] in his catalogue introduction...
[...] For these six photographers of the large format camera process, of slowly and deliberately capturing what is there, tends to result in images that deliver their content at similarly slow rate but also, often, with a good deal of personal attachment and something to say. [....]

Further until 16 March - a touring show by NZ emerging Large Format photographers Harry Culy, Sam Curtin, Tash Hopkins, Tom Hoyle, Clayton Morgan and Thomas Slade. 
Excerpt from the catalogue: [....]Four by Five by Six offers a feasible antithesis, a way of working with photography to create images that last. For the six photographers of the large format camera process, of slowly and deliberately capturing what is there, tends to result in images that deliver their content at similarly slow rate but also, often, with a good deal of personal attachment and something to say. [....] James Gilbert

Now on - until 16 March. Local artist Jimena Johnston with her body of work 'Individual'
Jimena Johnston is a visual artist originally from Mexico. Her chosen medium is acrylic, which she uses in combination with charcoal and cutouts from magazines to create layers of mixed media on canvas. The figure, painted with gestural marks and vibrant colour combination, is the central theme of her work.
In a world concerned with individuality, she looks for a universal identity.  In her process, the figure is painted over and over to strip it down from their differences, may it be culture, gender, race and other categories. This play in repetition creates a flow where the figure merges with the background and the background with the figure. It is a search for interconnectedness, a process of becoming one with all.