Something magical is happening with the arts in Whakatāne, and the rest of New Zealand has begun to take note. Local organisers of the 2018 Molly Morpeth Canaday Award – 3D are delighted to report a record number of entries. Following the closure of entries last week, 233 works have been submitted and processed for consideration. This is more than double the number of entries for the 2016 3D awards, indicating a growing interest in Whakatāne’s fine-art programming and opportunities. 
It’s encouraging to see that the artists have responding strongly to the new innovation of having the 3D award in February.
Molly Morpeth Canaday Award Coordinator Heather Hourigan says “Entries have come from all over the country, with particularly large numbers coming from Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin. There is an excellent contingency of local artists in the mix” she says “With over 50 Bay of Plenty artists entering for 2018.”
Entries are now being processed by Molly Morpeth Canaday Award organisers, and will soon be passed on to pre-selection judges Deborah Crowe, Scott Eady and Jasmine Te Hira. The sole guest judge, Deborah Crowe will select the final eight award winners in February ahead of the February 17 opening and awards ceremony at Te Kōputu a te whanga a Toi – Whakatāne Library and Exhibition Centre. 
“We are working hard, in partnership with Arts Whakatane, to innovate and grow the program,” said Eric Holowacz, Museum and Arts Director at Whakatane District Council. “From new creative development workshops at the local level, our largest number of applications from around the country, and increased award prizes — the 2018 3D event and exhibition should be the most interesting ever."
The 2018 Molly Morpeth Canady Award – 3D is presented by Arts Whakatāne and Whakatāne Museum and Arts. The program is made possible through the generous support of the Molly Morpeth Canaday Fund, established by Frank Canaday in memory of his wife Molly Morpeth Canaday. The trust has been a major supporter of the arts in Whakatāne for over twenty-five years.

Presented by Arts Whakatane and Exhibition partner Whakatane Museum and Arts.

The Molly Morpeth Canaday Award has gone from strength to strength to become one of New Zealand’s premium awards in painting, drawing and 3D arts.  In recognition of this, it has now been announced that the 3D Award will be hosted in 2018 and the Award for Painting and Drawing in 2019, with the 3D Award prize increased from $5,000 to $10,000.
 
Heather Hourigan, Molly Morpeth Canaday Award Coordinator, says the reason for the change is in recognition of the success of the 2016 3D Award and also in acknowledgement that many contemporary art practices are overlapping and pushing boundaries.
 
Brian Morpeth, of the Molly Morpeth Canaday Trust, says the Trust is pleased by the change and the opportunity it presents to elevate the 3D Award to a similar standing as the Painting and Drawing Award. “It also means that both fields remain relevant for New Zealand artists and for those visiting the Awards,” he says, “and in addition the change will offer artists more time to develop new works for the Molly Morpeth Canaday Painting and Drawing Award in 2019.”
 
“The Molly Morpeth Canaday 3D Award was originally established to encourage creativity in the area of three-dimensional and object-based practice in New Zealand, and the Award has continued to respond to the changing face of 3D arts, providing a valuable and professional platform for artists working in the areas of sculpture, installation, and contemporary craft.”
 
Organisers say that both exhibitions will continue to provide valuable space for critical discussion about contemporary art and will nurture both disciplines. In 2018, visitors can look forward to an exhibition showcasing work from some of New Zealand’s most innovative artists and an exciting public programme catering to both artists and visitors.
Online entries will open for the Molly Morpeth Canaday Award 3D in August 2017 and must be submitted via the website www.mollymorpethcanaday.co.nz . The final selected works will be exhibited at Te Koputu a te whanga a Toi – the Whakatāne’s Library and Exhibition Centre in mid-February 2018. Entries for the Molly Morpeth Canaday Award for Painting and Drawing are expected to open in August 2018, with the awards exhibition opening in mid-February 2019.