The Molly Morpeth Canaday Award recipients have been announced.

The initial 495 entries were whittled down to 63 finalists, with Elliot Collins being selected as the supreme winner of the MMCA 2024 - collecting $10,000 and plenty of plaudits at the opening of this year's event at the Whakatāne Library and Exhibition Centre, presented by Arts Whakatāne.

Collins - who has a Ph.D. Visual Art from AUT and is a senior academic staff member at Taranaki's Western Institute of Technology - has two works in this year's finalists exhibition, and has won the top prize for Did you get the watercress I left you?, made from Acrylic, wood and a shopping trolley.

The award, in its 38th year, seeks to highlight and celebrate excellence in fine art throughout Aotearoa, and the exhibition runs until 6 April, with all works available for sale.

Other recipients include:

Runner up ($4,000) - Till the Clock Strikes Five by Ming Ranginui

Youth Award ($2,500) - A Dollar Fifty by Jonghyun Yun

Highly Commended ($1,500) - Esk River (after Gabrielle) by Kate van der Drift

The Mayor’s Prize ($1,500) - The Belisha Beacon by Llyr Williams

Merit Award, Three-page feature in Our Place Magazine -($3,500) Beluga whales swimming in the air by Claudia Kogachi

Merit Award ($500 of Gordon Harris product) - Stardust (from my back yard) by Karen Sewell

Merit Award ($500 of Frames by Daniel product) - Tahi by Tim Wigmore

Merit Award ($500 from 4Artsake Gallery, Ōhope) - Green on Green by Bridgit Day

Another award, the People’s Choice ($500) will be decided by popular vote and announced at the end of the exhibition.


Image Credits:

Elliot Collins with Judge Andrew Clifford and MMC trustee Stevan de Castro. Courtesy of Molly Morpeth Canaday Award

Elliot Collins, Did you get the watercress I left you? Image courtesy of Molly Morpeth Canaday Awards.

Ming Ranginui, Till the Clock Strikes Five. Image Courtesy of Molly Morpeth Canaday Awards

Esk River (after Gabrielle) by Kate van der Drift. Image Courtesy of Molly Morpeth Canaday Awards

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