This weekend sees the launch of a new exhibition to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Wales Millennium Centre, while showcasing the very best of the nation’s creative talent from over the past decade.
Aur or Gold features some new and some award-winning creations by 20 Gold Medal winners in the fine art and craft and design categories from the last 10 years of the National Eisteddfod of Wales.
Bird in Hand by Peter Finnemore
Among those who will be exhibiting work are Peter Finnemore and Bedwyr Williams, who have both represented Wales at the Venice Art Biennale as well as jewellery-maker Pamela Rawnsley, abstract painter Elfyn Lewis, potter Walter Keeler, ceramicist Lowri Davies, jewellery-maker Mari Thomas and ceramicist Natalia Dias.
For those who have not seen 2004 Fine Art gold medal winner Stuart Lee’s work recently, he will be exhibiting a fascinating selection of new photographs of insects in various stages of decomposition.
The exhibition is a collaboration between Wales Millennium Centre, the Maker’s Guild and the National Eisteddfod.
While the work of ten gold medal award winning fine-artists will be on display at Wales Millennium Centre, Craft in the Bay will also exhibit the craftwork of ten gold medallist makers.
Also featured will be 2013’s Denbighshire and District National Eisteddfod Gold Medallist for Fine Art, Josephine Snowdon, who first exhibited at Wales Millennium Centre during the graduate 2012 exhibition which is where she heard of Y Lle Celf (The Art Space), the open exhibition for visual arts at the National Eisteddfod.
Bodlondeb by Elfyn Lewis
I caught up with National Eisteddfod visual arts officer, Robyn Tomos ahead of the exhibition’s launch.
He said: “This is a really diverse and high calibre exhibition and a considerable number of the artists taking part in the Aur exhibition have gone on to collect further honours following their achievement and acknowledge the Eisteddfod’s importance in promoting their work.
“In Fine Art, some have gone on to win the Hunting Art Prize and the Jerwood Painting Prize. Others have been shortlisted for the Artes Mundi international art prize while a number of Gold Medal winners for craft and design have represented Wales at SOFA (Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art + Design) in the USA.
“Many have also regularly represented Wales at the international art fair for contemporary objects, Collect, at the V&A, London so it’s a real chance for audiences to see new work by them or to remember the original stunning contributions they made to the competition.”
Artists have been given free rein to contribute which works they choose in what promises to be a vibrant and diverse show.
Louise Miles-Crust, Head of Programming at the WMC, said: “We’re very pleased in our 10th year to be working on this unique new exhibition with The Makers Guild in Wales and the National Eisteddfod of Wales.
“It’s a first to have these artists and makers showing together in one exhibition, and we’re incredibly excited by the high calibre and range of work that we’ll have on display.
“Aur truly does showcase the very best of what Welsh arts and crafts have to offer to the world.”
Aur runs from 18 January – 16 March 2014 at Wales Millennium Centre and the neighbouring craft venue, Craft in the Bay.
Out of the North by Pamela Rawnsley
Robyn hopes artists, both emerging and established, will be inspired to participate in the next Eisteddfod’s Open Exhibition to be held at Llanelli in August.
He added: “This exhibition is one of the pinnacles of our cultural calendar.
“It is an integral part of the warp and weave of Wales’ visual arts activity. The annual show at the National Eisteddfod celebrates the best within the visual arts in Wales.
“Increasingly, the work displayed at the exhibition is considered of international standing and reflects the excellence, innovation and commitment within our artistic community. We invite all eligible artists and makers to submit their work for consideration.”
This year applied artist, Lowri Davies, performance artist, Eddie Ladd and Nicholas Thornton, keeper of art, National Museum Wales have been invited to select the show.
The National Eisteddfod exhibition is open to any person born in Wales, or of Welsh parents, any person who has lived or worked in Wales for the three years prior to 2 August 2014, or any person who is able to speak or write in the Welsh language.
The closing date for entries is 1 March 2014.